Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has called for a full investigation into how the city’s fire department handled the Lachman Fire, which federal officials say reignited days later as the deadly Palisades Fire that destroyed thousands of homes and killed 12 people.
The move follows a new Los Angeles Times report raising serious questions about decisions made in the days before the catastrophic wildfire. Federal investigators concluded the Palisades Fire, which ignited on Jan. 7, was caused by embers from the earlier Lachman Fire — originally set on New Year’s Day and believed to have been extinguished — that smoldered underground before being reignited by powerful Santa Ana winds.
According to the Times, firefighters working the Lachman Fire warned a battalion chief that the ground remained dangerously hot and that leaving the area was “a bad idea.” Despite those warnings, crews were ordered to leave. One firefighter later texted that team members were frustrated but could not disobey orders. When the Palisades Fire erupted less than a week later, he said, they “knew immediately” it was a rekindling of the earlier blaze.
Former LAFD Battalion Chief Rick Crawford, who retired last year, said the situation points to systemic leadership failures. “The boots on the ground did an outstanding job with what they had,” Crawford said. “This is not just on the battalion chief — it’s a leadership issue all the way up to the top.”
In a letter to Interim Fire Chief Ronnie Villanueva, Mayor Bass called the revelations “tremendously alarming” and directed a comprehensive review of the department’s response. “A full understanding of the Lachman Fire response is essential to an accurate accounting of what occurred during the January wildfires,” Bass wrote. She added that the findings would inform ongoing reforms, including better interagency coordination, enhanced training, and upgraded communication systems.
Earlier this month, 29-year-old Jonathan Rinderknecht was arrested and charged with setting the Lachman Fire. Prosecutors allege that while the initial flames were extinguished, the fire continued smoldering underground until it reignited, sparking the Palisades Fire that burned more than 23,000 acres and leveled roughly 6,800 structures.
Rinderknecht has pleaded not guilty to multiple federal charges, including arson and destruction of property by fire. He is scheduled to appear in court again on November 12 in downtown Los Angeles.
The Palisades Fire remains one of the deadliest and most destructive wildfires in Los Angeles history, prompting renewed scrutiny over how early warnings were handled — and whether stronger leadership could have prevented tragedy.