Fires Will Be Lit In Pacific Palisades As Part Of Federal Investigation This Week
While seeing fire in the hills this week may be traumatic for Pacific Palisades residents, Federal officials believe the controlled blazes may help them finally determine what caused the deadly Palisades Fire.
The public is being asked to avoid the Temescal Ridge Trail in the Santa Monica Mountains tonight through Thursday while the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducts controlled fire testing.
More from Deadline
L.A. Wildfires: Property Damage Estimated At Between $28B-$53.8B; Full Recovery Will Take At Least Until 2029
L.A. Wildfires: How The International Industry Responded & What Happened Next
Duke's Malibu Lays Off 126 Employees After Mudslide
The testing will begin Tuesday evening between Skull Rock and Green Peak, according to Brian Humphrey of the Los Angeles Fire Department. That's close to what is believed to be ground zero of the massive Palisades Fire in mid-January which scorched more than 34,000 acres, took 12 lives and destroyed close to 7,000 structures.
skull rock, Pacific palisades near Malibu, the start of the fires pic.twitter.com/zVU3qwcjbe
— johnsouthwales (@johnsouthwales) January 13, 2025
'While this scientific testing will periodically include open flame in a small area that may be visible at a distance, it does not involve the burning of vegetation,' Humphrey said. 'Los Angeles Fire Department personnel will be present before, during, and after all testing to ensure public safety and environmental protection.'
The Palisades Fire was first detected around 10:30 a.m. Jan. 7 near Skull Rock. This week's ignitions will hopefully help investigators pinpoint the fire's exact origin and whether it was a rekindling of the Lachman Fire, an eight-acre blaze in the early morning of January 1 near Via La Costa in the Palisades. The Lachman Fire was sparked by fireworks, and first responders believed they had completely cleaned it up that same day.
Investigators have been combing the area near Skull Rock in the months since to try and model what might have happened. This week's ignitions will be part of that process.
NEW: ATF and arson investigators are combing through portions of the Skull Rock Trail in Pacific Palisades, CA. This is believed to be close to the origins of the Palisades Fire. #PalisadesFire pic.twitter.com/iK3nmRIFHY
— Matthew Seedorff (@MattSeedorff) January 14, 2025
There will be no provisions for media or public access due to the terrain and logistics, Humphrey said, adding that aircraft/drone pilots were instructed to follow any FAA-issued restrictions for the area.
'During this time period, there is no cause for public concern, or need to report the small testing flames that may be periodically visible near Tesmescal Ridge to 911,' he said.
#LosAngeles; #ATF will be conducting controlled fire testing along the Temescal Ridge Trail between Skull Rock & Green Peak. The testing is set to occur during the evening of Tuesday, April 29 through Thursday, May 1. Your #LAFD will be present before, during, and after all… pic.twitter.com/GJ2iBX3HNJ
— Erik Scott (@PIOErikScott) April 29, 2025
Additionally, Firefighters are conducting a prescribed fire of brush piles near the Rincon Fire Station and state Route 39, Angeles National Forest officials report. Smoke may be visible in Azusa, Glendora and surrounding communities.
#SmokeAdvisory: Angeles National Forest firefighters are conducting a prescribed fire (planned fire) of brush piles near Rincon Fire Station and State Route 39. Smoke may be visible in Azusa, Glendora, and surrounding communities. pic.twitter.com/heYiw1HoLS
— Angeles National Forest (@Angeles_NF) April 29, 2025
City News Service contributed to this report.
Best of Deadline
'Ginny & Georgia' Season 3: Everything We Know So Far
Everything We Know About The 'Reminders of Him' Movie So Far
Everything We Know About 'The Phoenician Scheme' So Far
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
American Military News
19 minutes ago
- American Military News
Video: 200+ killed in major plane crash in India
Over 200 people are believed to have been killed in a major Air India airplane crash on Thursday. The airplane crash occurred shortly after the Air India passenger airplane departed for London from an airport in Ahmedabad, India. According to Fox News, Air India flight AI 171, which has been identified as a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, crashed into the Meghani Nagar residential area of Ahmedabad just five minutes after taking off and departing for London's Gatwick Airport at roughly 1:38 p.m. (local time). The outlet noted that there were 242 passengers and crew members on the airplane at the time of the crash. Ahmedabad Police Commissioner G.S. Malik told The Associated Press, 'It appears there are no survivors in the plane crash.' 'As the plane has fallen in a residential area which also had offices, some locals would have also died,' Malik added. 'Exact figures on casualties are being ascertained.' In a statement on X, formerly Twitter, Air India Chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran said, 'With profound sorrow I confirm that Air India Flight 171 operating Ahmedabad London Gatwick was involved in a tragic accident today. Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with the families and loved ones of all those affected by this devastating event.' Air India confirmed that 242 passengers and crew members were on the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner on Thursday, including 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, seven Portuguese nationals, and one Canadian national. Air India also noted that individuals injured as a result of the airplane crash are being transported to local hospitals. READ MORE: Video/Pics: 2 killed, 8 injured in plane crash in San Diego A senior police official told Reuters, 'The building on which it has crashed is a doctors' hostel… we have cleared almost 70% to 80% of the area and will clear the rest soon.' According to Reuters, police officials also confirmed that over 100 bodies had been taken to a hospital for autopsies. 'The tragedy in Ahmedabad has stunned and saddened us,' Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said. 'It is heartbreaking beyond words. In this sad hour, my thoughts are with everyone affected by it. Have been in touch with Ministers and authorities who are working to assist those affected.' In a Thursday statement, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed that it was in communication with the National Transportation Safety (NTSB) regarding the airplane 'accident' in India. 'When an international incident occurs, that government leads the investigation,' the FAA said. 'In the event assistance is requested, the NTSB is the official U.S. representative and the FAA provides technical support.' A video shared on social media shows the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crashing in India on Thursday.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
This Traveler Was Woken Up on a Red-eye Flight After a Neighbor Started 'Slapping' His Head—and It Happened More Than Once
An airline passenger was woken up on a red-eye flight by another passenger slapping their head, according to a Reddit post. Unruly and disruptive passenger behavior is on the rise, according to the FAA. Disruptive airline passenger behavior is going viral on social media. During a recent red-eye overnight flight between Portland, Oregon (PDX), and Newark, New Jersey (EWR), a passenger claims that the person behind him repeatedly "slapped" his head to wake him up and caused a large amount of noise and commotion during the quiet flight. The experience was shared on Reddit, where the passenger detailed how the person seated behind him, in first class nonetheless, repeatedly tapped and slapped the person's head and hat to awaken him to help retrieve a lost earbud. 'What makes a person think they are allowed to touch another person?' the passenger shared in the post. Worst of all, after several minutes had passed, the passenger slapped the person again to let him know he had found the missing device, waking him up a second time. 'If you need anything else from me on this flight, the one thing you WON'T be doing is putting your hands on me again,' the writer shared in their post.'That's fair,' the disruptive passenger allegedly replied back. Within the comment section, fellow travelers commended the traveler for their relative patience despite the troubling circumstances."Handled it better than I would have, Kudos," one person wrote in the passengers said they would have flagged a crew member after the first incident. Unruly and disruptive passenger behavior is on the rise, according to data collected by the International Air Transport Association. The agency recorded more than 24,500 incidents globally in 2023, which was 1 in 480 flights, versus 1 in 568 flights in the United States, the FAA has referred more than 300 serious cases of unruly passengers to the FBI since 2021, according to a release. These cases included physical assault of travel companions, other passengers, crew members, and other "aggressive behavior."As a way to deter unruly and disruptive passengers, the FAA has developed a series of clever memes and social media graphics. Several of the graphics emphasize that FAA fines can total above $37,000 and include suspension of flight privileges. Read the original article on Travel & Leisure
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Yahoo
Cargo plane landing gear collapses on Honolulu airport runway
The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating after the landing gear of a cargo plane collapsed upon landing at the Honolulu airport this morning. According to the FAA, the landing gear of a Short SD3-60 turboprop aircraft, collapsed upon landing at about 9 a.m. at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport. The FAA said five people were on board. The Hawaii Department of Transportation said no injuries were reported after the Transair aircraft experienced a landing gear issue and landed on Runway 4R. 'Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting responded ; there are no reported injuries, ' DOTofficials said in a statement. While crews worked to remove the aircraft from the runway, flights were diverted to Runway 8L, officials said, adding that 'there are no disruptions to flight operations at this time.' At about 1 p.m., the Transair plane was removed from Runway 4R, according to the department. 'Following clean up and inspection of the runway, 4R was opened for service at 1 :47 p.m. There was no damage to the runway, ' officials said this afternoon. 4 Comments By participating in online discussions you acknowledge that you have agreed to the. An insightful discussion of ideas and viewpoints is encouraged, but comments must be civil and in good taste, with no personal attacks. If your comments are inappropriate, you may be banned from posting. Report comments if you believe they do not follow our. Having trouble with comments ? .
