Los Angeles Investigators are rushing to determine the cause of the terrible Jan. 7 fire that destroyed over 6,800 structures and claimed 11 lives as the scorched hills of the Pacific Palisades continue to smolder and storms approach.
In their quest for answers, they have gathered over 235 leads, covering up to 10 kilometers of terrain per day. They are now focusing on a suspicious fire that began in the same region days prior.
The investigation has focused on a burned ridgeline above the Highlands, a posh suburb tucked away in the highlands with a view of the Pacific Ocean. Six days prior to the devastating Jan. 7 fire, this location was the scene of a smaller fire that was put out in the early hours of January 1, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.
A trailhead connecting the Highlands to a well-liked hiking destination in Topanga State Park was closed earlier this week due to yellow caution tape. The fire did not reach many of the homes near the trail. But only a few blocks away, the landscape was peppered with burnt trees and the charred remnants of once-grand homes.
The state park, which is well-known for its breathtaking coastal views and well-known landmarks like the Skull Rock boulder and small Buddha sculpture, has about 75 employees spread across local, state, and federal organizations.
According to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Los Angeles office, both are areas of special interest in the investigation due to their close proximity to the two fires.
All inquiries about the fires on January 1 and January 7 were forwarded to ATF by the Los Angeles Fire Department.
Following the clues
Although the Jan. 1 fire did not cause any damage or destruction to any properties, ATF investigators are looking into potential links to the Jan. 7 fire. They are also investigating potential human causes, such as illegal camping, pyrotechnics, and arson.
As of Sunday, about 84% of the fire has been contained. More than 23,440 acres have burnt so far, and almost three weeks later, flare-ups are still happening.
ATF spokesperson Ginger Colburn stated outside the agency’s temporary command center on the Pacific Coast Highway, “We’re not leaving any stone unturned.” Colburn stressed that investigators are reviewing all the information and that there is no reason not to revisit and examine both occurrences, even if she declined to confirm a causal connection between the fires.
On New Year’s Eve, Highlands residents claimed to have heard fireworks before a minor fire started in the nearby wildlands. Shortly after midnight on January 1, firefighters were called by a person who lives approximately two blocks from the Skull Rock trailhead. Residents who saw and heard fire crews hours later reported that the fire was extinguished by 5 a.m. and that firefighters were still present.
Until smoke was once more observed in the slopes and valleys around the Highlands on January 7, the fire was mainly forgotten. A different resident who lives roughly three minutes away by car from the address of the caller who reported the fire on January 1st called the fire department. The Temescal Ridge Trail, one of the many nearby hiking routes that lead to Skull Rock, is visible from the backyards of both residences.
Investigators from federal, state, and local organizations are currently assembling a challenging jigsaw. According to Colburn, they have examined more than 85 hours of film and sifted through hikers’ and park visitors’ social media posts.
Anatomy of a fire investigation
Amy Masi, a U.S. Forest Service fire investigator who was not engaged in the investigation, explained the meticulous procedure that forensic specialists follow.
According to her, a technique akin to solving a riddle is employed to determine the source and genesis of a wildfire.
Three detectives from the Forest Service, which provides ATF with training in wildfire analysis, are assisting the bureau in the Palisades Fire investigation.
According to Ed Nordskog, a retired Los Angeles County sheriff’s fire investigator who is not engaged in the case, fire investigators examine the scene and focus their search field, ideally, to a 25-square-foot area, just like police detectives do.
After that, they create a grid of zones, each of which is roughly 4 square feet in size. Footprints, campfire remnants, lighting strike ash, or charred electrical equipment are among the evidence that investigators gather, he said.
Investigators look for even the smallest pieces of evidence, like pieces of molten machinery, match heads, glass, and pyrotechnics remnants, using magnets, metal detectors, and magnifying lenses.
Investigators closely monitor any electrical equipment, such as fences or poles, or indications of gas-powered vehicles, which are more prone to overheat and start a fire than electrical vehicles, and specially trained dogs sniff for accelerant traces. After that, the evidence is processed in a research facility to ascertain its duration.
That’s what fire science is. Scott Sweetow, a former ATF fire investigator, stated that although it is a science, there is an artistic component to it. People believe that everything is destroyed by fire. It doesn’t.
Investigators can find evidence about the movement of the fire and its origin by examining burn patterns on rocks, bushes, and debris.
Matt Brossard, a former Forest Service investigator who is currently a business representative with the National Federation of Federal Employees, said the procedure may be intimidating.
Examining a region like Topanga State Park can be particularly challenging due to its topography and popularity, according to Brossard, who is not engaged in the investigation but assisted in training ATF investigators in wildfire study.
The weather and the materials that initially ignited will determine if any physical evidence remains, he said. We can easily locate items in deep brush and grass if they are there. However, in areas with significantly higher temperatures, your evidence deteriorates since it burns for a longer and more severe amount of time.
Investigators may be able to learn crucial information from the unusually dry conditions that led to the Jan. 7 fire and the six days that passed between the first and second fires. Heavy ash can obscure embers that have lodged deep within tree roots. According to Brossard, in that case, embers might keep burning underground and dislodge during a strong breeze.
According to him, the Forest Service keeps an eye on fires under brush for days or even weeks after they are contained using infrared equipment and other methods.
However, Sweetow stated that rekindling is highly unlikely because to the Pacific Palisades’ comparatively thin vegetation and the six-day period preceding the fire on January 7.
“A lot of people have that question,” he remarked. Without a doubt, our investigators will have it.