Firefighters Warned Palisades Blaze Was Still Burning Days Before It Destroyed Neighborhood

Los Angeles firefighters warned a fire was still burning days before the Pacific Palisades blaze, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Roughly six days before the Pacific Palisades fire broke out, firefighters had been deployed to put out the smaller Lachman Fire, which began Jan. 1. In text messages among three firefighters and a third party, obtained and reviewed by the LA Times, the texts showed firefighters complaining that commanders failed to make sure the Lachman Fire was definitively out.

One firefighter expressed his surprise that crews in the Palisades were reportedly ordered to pack up a day after the Lachman Fire broke out, despite tree stumps still being hot. Another firefighter mentioned his crew members were upset when ordered to leave, but noted they couldn’t ignore the decision being made from higher up.

The same firefighter wrote that he and his team knew the Pacific Palisades fire was a re-ignition of the Lachman Fire, according to the outlet.

Officials arrested 29-year-old Jonathan Rinderknecht on Oct. 8 in connection to authorities’ criminal investigation into the Pacific Palisades fire. According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Central District of California, officials determined that the Palisades Fire was a continuation of the Lachman Fire, despite early claims from Democrats that the destruction was caused by climate change.

Following the arrest announcement, a video circulated showing smoke rising from a smoldering bush days before the Pacific Palisades fire broke out. The video was included as part of the Pacific Palisades lawsuit against the state and Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP),

In an aerial view, workers clear aout a property in a neighborhood destroyed by the Palisades Fire on May 07, 2025.(Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Former reality TV star Spencer Pratt became a vocal critic of the government’s response to the Palisades disaster after he and his family were personally affected. In response to the LA Times report, Pratt posted Thursday direct communications with an involved Los Angeles City firefighter.

In Pratt’s post, the alleged firefighter stated he was at the scene of the Lachman Fire when he was told to pack up on Jan. 2.

“There was several hot spots and it was definitely still smoldering. Tons of smoldering tree stumps still remained that needed to be dug out and water applied. I believe a hand crew needed to come in and mop up the whole area with water,” the message states.

“I had a chief walk by me that day and I showed him a hotspot. He said it was good enough and we continued to pick up all the hose up,” the message continues. “I couldn’t believe we walked away from that burn scar the way it was.”

Both Democrat California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass faced backlash from residents over their handling of the disaster. By February, Bass fired Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) Chief Kristin Crowley following reports that highlighted failures in response to the Palisades and Eaton fires.

LAFD did not respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.

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