On Jan. 1, the Lachman fire broke out and burned about eight acres near the Temescal Ridge Trail of the Pacific Palisades. Six days later, on the charred land from the Lachman fire, the second-most destructive fire in Los Angeles history, the Palisades fire, ignited on that very land. Then, the most destructive fire in Los Angeles history, the Eaton fire, broke out at six in the evening on the same day. What caused these fires and other destructive fires from recent memory?
Palisades Fire
Pacific Palisades residents first observed the fire on the morning of Jan. 7. Sparked near the area of the Lachman fire, those who saw the fire were “one hundred percent certain” there was a connection to the previous blaze due to the location of the smoke from the area. Citizens were worried the blaze wasn’t contained correctly and they may have been right.
If anything, one statement should be made clear after preliminary research. The Palisades fire was most likely not a result of arson and rather a combination of dangerous winds and the already fire-prone landscape in the same area. On top of that, the terrain is rugged and difficult to access.
If the fire had been reached within the first couple of minutes, it likely would have been contained to some degree preventing the mass destruction it caused. However, the LA Fire Department took at least 45 minutes to reach the scene. By this time the winds had already moved fire further quickly creating an uncontainable blaze.
What took the fire department so long? According to the Post, “Constrained resources, an awkward stutter-step response and muddled communications appear to have prevented crews from reaching the genesis point before it was too late.”
Eaton Fire
According to a group of Altadena residents suing Southern California Edison, the power company is fully to blame for the destructive monster that has killed 17 people as of January 21. Edison maintains their innocence. However, pictures taken from a local resident’s phone seem to show differently.
Residents are utilizing a photo that seems to show flames licking the base of a transmission tower in the area. The alleged malpractice Edison is being sued for is not deactivating the highly flammable tower even when high winds and fire risks were being reported. The tower dropped “sparks” into dry brush, presumably igniting the fire and also helping it spread.
So, what caused the Eaton Fire? It may have originally ignited from bad conditions and nearby smoke and fire or from the allegations that the transmission tower dropping sparks into ignitable brush moved it along.
Kenneth Fire
The start of the Kenneth fire is still a mystery. The Kenneth fire erupted near West Hills, causing evacuation warnings in Oak Park. Accusations started with the arrest of a homeless man near the inception of the Kenneth Fire. The man had a flamethrower, yet the police could not find probable cause to arrest him on felony arson.
When an investigation like this is launched in such a high-profile case, the investigation could take months. While nothing is certain right now, expect to see frequent updates in the news about the ongoing investigation.
Woolsey Fire
Southern California Edison has a previous track record of sparking the most dangerous fires. All of those who have lived in Oak Park during November 2018 remember the tragic and harrowing experience that the Woolsey fire brought upon us. Similar to the Eaton fire, Edison products were at fault again.
SED’s investigation determined that a loose wire came in contact with a jumper wire. The arc flash caused hot metal fragments to drop to the ground, igniting the brush below.”
85% of all wildfires in the United States yearly are caused by humans. Whether they are accidents or not, it is always something to be cautious about. You never know when something like this might happen, but the most important thing is to stay informed and be aware that on any morning you could wake up to destruction.
