LA Firefighter Reveals Palisades Blaze Was Never Fully Extinguished

A firefighter has alleged that crews were instructed to abandon the Lachman fire site before it was completely extinguished, a decision that potentially led to the devastating Palisades fire reigniting.

Scott Pike, a firefighter involved in the incident, claimed he was dismissed by a superior officer when he reported that five areas at the site remained dangerously hot, even through his protective gloves.

Pike’s allegations have surfaced in a lawsuit filed by victims of the Palisades fire against the City of Los Angeles and the State of California, despite efforts by city attorneys to keep the details under wraps.

The LA Times reported Pike’s account: “I avoided using my gloved hand because the heat was intense. Instead, I used my boot to disturb the area, revealing red-hot embers still smoldering and audibly crackling,” Pike recounted.

He added, “I approached my captain and said, ‘Hey, Cap, we have active hot spots and ash pits. We need to reassess the situation and possibly alter our approach.’”

He continued: “That’s how I approached him, is like, ‘Hey, Cap … We have hot spots in general. We have some ash pits.’ That’s an alert to double check the whole area and maybe we need to switch our tactics.”

He claimed other members of his team as well as the captain seemed eager to leave the site and said he regrets no one listened to him.

The LAFD claims the Lachman fire was completely extinguished by January 2 and it gets little mention in an after-action report, which Pike said he was not asked to contribute to.

The Palisades fire quickly exploded just days later on January 5, wiping out thousands of homes and leaving 12 dead.