LA Fire Blaze Sparks Concern Over Response to Lachman Fire
The recent revelation about the Los Angeles fire department's (LAFD) initial response to the Lachman fire, which reignited and contributed to the devastating Palisades fire, has raised more questions than answers. The small brush fire, just 8 acres in size, was largely extinguished hours after it broke out on New Year's Day, but firefighters were still ordered to leave the site despite concerns that the ground was smoldering.
According to a series of bombshell reports by the LA Times, including text messages revealing that firefighters spoke with their battalion chief shortly after the Lachman fire broke out, the department's response has been marred by controversy. Firefighters were told to roll up their hoses and leave the site just one day later, despite reporting to their superior that it was a "bad idea" to do so due to visible smoldering.
The Palisades fire, which ignited five days later, ravaged large parts of Pacific Palisades, Malibu, and Topanga, ultimately killing 12 people and destroying over 6,800 structures. A man has been arrested and charged with maliciously igniting the Lachman fire, but questions remain about how leaders at the LAFD responded to the initial blaze.
The city's mayor, Karen Bass, recently appointed a new permanent chief, Jamie Moore, who will spearhead an investigation into the handling of the Lachman fire. However, critics argue that this is not enough and that a full, independent inquiry is needed to ensure transparency and accountability.
Zev Yaroslavsky, a former LA city councilor and current director of the Los Angeles Initiative at UCLA's school of public affairs, believes that the events surrounding the Palisades fire warrant an independent investigation. He compares it to 9/11 and Pearl Harbor, saying that something always goes wrong in a fire, but this is on a scale that requires a different approach.
Yaroslavsky also points to recent technical issues with emergency warning systems as evidence of the LAFD's need for improvement. The system sent an alert meant to be a test to everyone in LA county instead of just South Pasadena, raising questions about the department's preparedness and response.
Bass' office has stressed that the city has taken steps to implement new tools and processes to improve preparedness and response to fires, but critics argue that more needs to be done to restore confidence in the fire department.
The recent revelation about the Los Angeles fire department's (LAFD) initial response to the Lachman fire, which reignited and contributed to the devastating Palisades fire, has raised more questions than answers. The small brush fire, just 8 acres in size, was largely extinguished hours after it broke out on New Year's Day, but firefighters were still ordered to leave the site despite concerns that the ground was smoldering.
According to a series of bombshell reports by the LA Times, including text messages revealing that firefighters spoke with their battalion chief shortly after the Lachman fire broke out, the department's response has been marred by controversy. Firefighters were told to roll up their hoses and leave the site just one day later, despite reporting to their superior that it was a "bad idea" to do so due to visible smoldering.
The Palisades fire, which ignited five days later, ravaged large parts of Pacific Palisades, Malibu, and Topanga, ultimately killing 12 people and destroying over 6,800 structures. A man has been arrested and charged with maliciously igniting the Lachman fire, but questions remain about how leaders at the LAFD responded to the initial blaze.
The city's mayor, Karen Bass, recently appointed a new permanent chief, Jamie Moore, who will spearhead an investigation into the handling of the Lachman fire. However, critics argue that this is not enough and that a full, independent inquiry is needed to ensure transparency and accountability.
Zev Yaroslavsky, a former LA city councilor and current director of the Los Angeles Initiative at UCLA's school of public affairs, believes that the events surrounding the Palisades fire warrant an independent investigation. He compares it to 9/11 and Pearl Harbor, saying that something always goes wrong in a fire, but this is on a scale that requires a different approach.
Yaroslavsky also points to recent technical issues with emergency warning systems as evidence of the LAFD's need for improvement. The system sent an alert meant to be a test to everyone in LA county instead of just South Pasadena, raising questions about the department's preparedness and response.
Bass' office has stressed that the city has taken steps to implement new tools and processes to improve preparedness and response to fires, but critics argue that more needs to be done to restore confidence in the fire department.
. The fact that firefighters were told to leave the Lachman fire site just one day after it broke out is insane. I mean, come on! You can't just roll up your hoses and walk away from a blazing fire 
especially when there's still smoldering hotspots. It's basic safety protocol.
. I'm not buying the excuse that the new chief is looking into it. We need an independent investigation ASAP to get to the bottom of this. The city's mayor needs to do more than just appoint a new chief and claim everything will be okay 
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. It's not just about fires; it's about public safety in general. We need real action, not just empty promises from the city officials. This is a major concern for our community, and we deserve better 
. I mean, Jamie Moore's appointment feels like a band-aid solution at best. A full, independent inquiry is probably what this situation needs - someone with an outside perspective who can dig into all the technical issues and communication breakdowns that led to the Palisades fire being so devastating 
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I'm not surprised at all. Another fire, another cover-up 
. The fact that they just walked away from a burning fire is insane. What's going on with these firefighters? Don't they know what they're dealing with? It's like they're playing a game of chance, hoping no one gets hurt 
. And now 12 people are dead and over 6,800 structures destroyed 
. That's not just a fire, that's a tragedy. We need to get to the bottom of this and make sure something like this never happens again 
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IT WAS A BAD IDEA AND PEOPLE SHOULD HAVE KNOWN BETTER. 
THE PALISADES FIRE WAS DEVASTATING AND 12 PEOPLE LOST THEIR LIVES, PLUS THOUSANDS OF HOMELESS BECAUSE OF THAT ONE DECISION. 
I'M TOTALLY WITH ZEV YAROSLAVSKY ON THIS ONE, AN INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION IS NEEDED, NO KIDDING. 
WE NEED TO KNOW THE TRUTH ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED AND WHY THE CITY'S LEADERS DIDN'T ACT SOONER. 
just saw this about LAFD's response to Lachman Fire & it's giving me PTSD - 8 acres of brush fire & they leave the site just 1 day later because it was "smoldering" 
and we need an INDEPENDENT investigation ASAP 
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. And now we're supposed to believe that this is going to improve our preparedness and response? Give me a break 
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. now it sounds like the same kinda thing happened with the palisades fire & i gotta say, if u ask me the city should be lookin at gettin a new emergency response system ASAP 
no more tech issues that could cost lives or property 
. I mean, a test alert was sent to EVERYONE in LA county by accident? That's just embarrassing. And what about all the tech issues and bureaucratic red tape that might have contributed to this mess? We need answers, not just some PR spin from the city. 
. And now we're hearing about 12 people lost their lives and over 6,800 structures destroyed 
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. What we need is an independent investigation that gets to the bottom of what went wrong and makes sure it doesn't happen again 
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I'm not saying he's at fault or anything, but isn't he the last person you want investigating a scandal involving his own department? 
meanwhile, ppl lost their homes and lives in the Palisades fire... need an independent investigation ASAP 
I'm really surprised by all these questions about the LAFD's response to the Lachman fire. It seems like they made a huge mistake by leaving the site so soon, especially with smoldering grounds and concerns from firefighters themselves. 12 lives lost and over 6,800 structures destroyed is just devastating 
. We need to hear from external parties too, you know? Someone who's not affiliated with the fire department or the city government. Otherwise, we're just gonna keep on speculating and wondering what really went down 
. I'm all for progress, but it seems like we need to take a step back and reassess our emergency response procedures before we can move forward