“`html
Palisades Fire Examination Widens: LAFD Text Messages Subpoenaed
Table of Contents
A federal grand jury has subpoenaed the Los Angeles Fire department (LAFD) for firefighters’ text messages and other communications related to the Lachman brushfire and the subsequent, devastating Palisades fire. The subpoena, issued by the U.S. attorney’s office in Los Angeles, seeks records of communications concerning smoke or hot spots in the area between 10 p.m. on New Year’s Eve and 10 a.m. on January 7, according to an internal department memo.
The move signals an escalation in the investigation surrounding the Palisades fire, the most destructive in Los Angeles history, which claimed 12 lives and caused widespread destruction. The inquiry comes after reports surfaced alleging a premature withdrawal of firefighting crews from the initial Lachman fire, perhaps contributing to the larger blaze.
Did you know?-The Palisades fire was the most destructive in Los Angeles history, resulting in 12 fatalities and widespread property damage. It began as the smaller Lachman fire.
Concerns Over Early Withdrawal from Lachman Fire
Last week, The Los Angeles Times reported that a battalion chief ordered firefighters to cease mop-up operations at the Lachman fire on January 2, despite warnings from crews that the ground remained smoldering and rocks were still hot. Firefighters reportedly expressed concerns that leaving the area unattended could allow the fire to reignite.
“It was a bad idea to leave as of the visible signs of smoking terrain, which crews feared could start a new fire if left unprotected,” one firefighter wrote in a text message obtained by The Times. Another firefighter stated that tree stumps were still hot to the touch when the crew was ordered to pack up. A third firefighter added that crew members were frustrated by the order but felt compelled to follow it, immediately suspecting the Palisades fire would be a rekindle of the Jan. 1 blaze.
reader question:-What is “mop-up” in firefighting? It refers to the final stage of extinguishing a wildfire,ensuring all embers and hot spots are cooled to prevent reignition.
ATF Investigation and ongoing Criminal Probe
The subpoena was issued in connection with an “ongoing criminal investigation” led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).The ATF previously arrested Jonathan Rinderknecht, a former Pacific Palisades resident, and charged him with deliberately setting the Lachman fire shortly after midnight on January 1 near a trailhead. Rinderknecht has pleaded not guilty.
According to an affidavit supporting the criminal complaint against Rinderknecht, ATF agents steadfast the initial fire smoldered underground “within the root structure of dense vegetation” for days before heavy winds caused it to erupt into the massive Palisades inferno. It remains unclear whether the current subpoena is directly related to the case against rinderknecht.
Pro tip:-Underground fires, like the initial Lachman blaze, are particularly perilous as they can smolder undetected for days before resurfacing with increased intensity.
City Response and Calls for Independent Review
The LAFD has not responded to questions regarding the firefighter accounts detailed in the text messages, but has maintained that officials took all possible steps to fully extinguish the Lachman fire. The department has also not released dispatch records detailing firefighting and mop-up activity prior to January 7.
Following The Times’ reporting, Mayor Karen Bass directed interim Fire Chief Ronnie Villanueva to launch an internal investigation into the matter. Though, critics of the Bass administration have called for an independent inquiry to ensure impartiality and transparency.
The U.S. attorney’s office declined to comment on the subpoena, and a copy of the document was not
