Overview
- Los Angeles Times reporting based on firefighter text messages says crews warned on Jan. 2 that the Lachman burn area was still smoldering but were told by a battalion chief to roll up hoses and leave.
- Interim Chief Ronnie Villanueva maintains the Jan. 7 Palisades Fire was an undetectable holdover that reignited under extreme winds, as the department defends prolonged mop‑up while not providing dispatch logs sought by reporters.
- Incident Commander Joe Everett said procedures were followed yet acknowledged in retrospect that retrieving hose on Jan. 3 and not monitoring longer was a mistake, and he said LAFD will fly heat‑detecting drones over burn scars going forward.
- Federal prosecutors have charged Jonathan Rinderknecht with setting the initial Jan. 1 fire that investigators say smoldered underground in roots before reigniting; he has pleaded not guilty and is due in court Nov. 12.
- The Palisades Fire killed 12 people and destroyed about 6,800 structures, fueling lawsuits, a Senate inquiry, and renewed calls from officials including Councilmember Traci Park and candidate Austin Beutner for an independent review.