Who started the Pacific Palisades Fire? Haunting new theory suggests New Year’s Eve revelers could be to blame

A shocking analysis has found that the devastating Palisades fire in Los Angeles may have been started by the rekindling of a fire on New Year’s Eve.

Evidence reviewed by The Washington Post suggests the Palisades inferno was ignited at the same spot where firefighters extinguished the flames a week earlier — and residents claim their response was much slower the second time.

The Palisades Fire — the largest of the three blazes sweeping through Los Angeles — ignited on Jan. 7 and has scorched 23,713 acres and is only 13 percent contained as of Sunday.

A week before that fire broke out, firefighters were called to the Pacific Palisades shortly after midnight on New Year’s Day for a small brush fire that residents said was caused by fireworks.

The fire, called the Lachman Fire, spread across eight acres and was brought under control at 4:46 a.m., according to the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD).

Satellite images obtained by the Post identified a burn scar from the New Year’s Eve fire. Additional images taken on Tuesday as the Palisades Fire broke out indicate the origin of the smoke overlaps with the burn scar.

The evidence comes as a bombshell as the death toll rose to 24 and locals were warned to brace for ‘life-threatening’ winds that could fan the fires.

“The overall duration of this doesn’t look good,” meteorologist Rose Schoenfield warned.

The weather is expected to contribute to another period of dangerous and potentially extreme fire conditions, which could worsen already burning fires and cause more new ones to emerge.

Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley said, “It’s very important that the community understands that these wind events are coming.”

These conditions have prompted a red flag warning until 6pm on Wednesday.

Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said authorities will not consider allowing displaced residents to return home until the warning is lifted.

Authorities have yet to confirm what caused the fire but have vowed to conduct a thorough investigation and warn the public.

The similarities and proximity between the now-burning Palisades inferno and the New Year’s Eve fire in the same area have raised questions about whether there is a clear connection between the two.

Professor Michael Gollner of the University of California, Berkeley, told the Washington Post that fires can flare up again despite appearing to have burned out.

“We know that fires are reigniting and going from smoldering to flaming,” she said.

“It’s certainly possible that something from that previous fire could have been reignited within a week and caused the ignition.”

LAFD spokesperson Margaret Stewart told the San Francisco Chronicle that crews remained behind the New Year’s Eve fire to ensure it did not flare up again.

“We had crews working all day cleaning up and making sure there were no smoldering areas,” Stewart said.

“We use hand tools to dig up the dirt, we use water, we use foam, we use heavy equipment to bulldoze around it.

However, LAFD radio transmissions obtained by the Washington Post show that dispatchers discussed the location of the repeat fire.

“The base of the fire started very close to where the last fire was on New Year’s Eve,” a Los Angeles County fire official said.”

“Looks like it’s going to be a good run,” another person said.

Los Angeles City Fire Chief Kristin Crowley was asked directly Sunday afternoon about the similarities and the possibility that one led to the other.

“We don’t have any information that there are any connections, but that’s the good thing if we bring in an outside resource that’s going to look at every detail,” Crowley said.

LA Police Chief Jim McDonnell assured the public that there is a coordinated effort to determine the cause of each of the fires, which together have become the worst in the city’s history.

Resident Michel Valentine said the response to the New Year’s incident was swift and impressive.

However, a week later, Valentine said the fire had been raging for about 45 minutes when he finally saw a helicopter flying over it, but there was no water.

“I haven’t seen any police or firefighters, on the ground or in the air, for a long time,” Valentine said.

“I was disappointed because the second fire was moving so quickly and no one was there.”

Jacob Bendix, professor emeritus of geography and environment at Syracuse University, told the newspaper that the evidence suggests it is possible the fire has reignited.

“The evidence you have here indicates that it is at least conceivable that remnants of the earlier Lachman fire sparked the Palisades fire,” Bendix said.

“Although the passage of time reduces the likelihood of restarting, the elapsed time does not make it unrealistic, especially if there is no intervening precipitation.”

Photos taken by a Palisades resident and obtained by the Chronicle also show the two fires at the same location.

“Looking at the two photos, I agree that there appears to be an overlap between the two fires, but it’s hard to say for sure because I can’t see on the other side of the ridge.” , the retired Cal Fire deputy chief said. said Alan Carlson. ‘The wind direction appears to be consistent with a possible resurgence of the first fire.

‘An 8 hectare fire with that fuel type is also consistent with a possible resurgence. Wind gusts correspond to hot materials blowing over the control lines.”

Officials are still determining the cause of the New Year’s Eve fire, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has “taken the lead in determining the origin and cause of the Pacific Palisades fire.”

So far, the California fires have killed at least 24 people and destroyed an estimated 40,300 acres of land, 12,300 homes and other structures. They have caused losses that have exceeded a staggering $135 billion and forced 180,000 people to evacuate.

The Palisades Fire is the largest of the Los Angeles wildfires, covering 23,713 acres, while the Eaton Fire in Pasadena is the deadliest fire, killing 16 and scorching 14,117 acres.

Governor Gavin Newsom was criticized Sunday for an interview involving a car crash as he tried to shift blame for the LA fires.

Newsom, wearing a black button-up with jeans, spoke with his hands during the 18-minute conversation that took place in Altadena, a community ravaged by the Eaton fire.

He often clapped and made other grand gestures as he answered questions about the catastrophic fires — now among the worst in the city’s history.

California’s governor also suggested LA’s failing water system is to blame for the crisis, while claiming he wasn’t trying to point the finger at anyone in particular for the death and destruction.

Meanwhile, LA Mayor Karen Bass is being criticized for grinning and smiling in her latest ‘tone deaf’ video response to the devastating fires in Los Angeles.

Bass faced strong backlash after posting a video message about the city’s historic infernos, in which she appeared to smile as she discussed residents’ “unbearable loss.”

The controversial clip showed a rather sharp Bass delivering a somber message about the devastating, fiery crisis plaguing her city.

Appearing to smile occasionally during her speech, Bass said, “To each of you and to all of you who have experienced loss, the grief, the anger, the utter shock – I have seen the devastation, it is unbelievable the amount of loss people have suffered.”