The report could clarify the Los Angeles Fire Department’s response, including its decision not to pre-deploy engines
Los Angeles will delay releasing a report on its handling of the Palisades Fire, which killed 12 and devastated the Westside neighborhood, to avoid interfering with a federal investigation, Mayor Karen Bass announced Tuesday.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California requested the hold late last week, Bass said, citing the ongoing probe into the fire’s cause. The city’s after-action report, mandated by California regulations, will be released upon the investigation’s conclusion in coordination with the U.S. Department of Justice.
The fire, detected around 10:30 a.m. on Jan. 7, tore through Pacific Palisades’ mountainous area near the Pacific Ocean, fueled by high winds. Investigators are examining whether it was a reignition of the Lachman fire, reported on New Year’s Day and believed extinguished, or if a person sparked it, given the absence of power poles near the origin and heavy trail traffic.
The delay has drawn criticism from Sharon Delugach of the city’s Fire Commission, who told the Los Angeles Times, “It’s fire season. We need to know what worked and what didn’t.”
The report could clarify the Los Angeles Fire Department’s response, including its decision not to pre-deploy engines despite severe wind warnings, a departure from past practices. Mayor Bass removed Fire Chief Kristin Crowley post-fire, citing delayed communication.
