Palisades fire reignition raises questions over response time
The battle against powerful wildfires continues in California. "The Washington Post" reports a shocking theory regarding the origin of the Palisades fire. A week beforehand, a fire was said to have started in the exact location on New Year's Eve due to fireworks. Residents believe that on the 7th of January, the fire reoccurred in the same area, but the firefighters' response was not as swift.
According to "The Washington Post" findings, the Palisades fire erupted in the same location where firefighters had extinguished a blaze a week earlier. It is reported that services were called to Pacific Palisades, a district of Los Angeles, shortly after midnight on New Year's Day due to a shrub fire, believed to have originated from fireworks. They managed to contain the fire within an hour.
Satellite images obtained by "The Washington Post" identified the fire trace on New Year's Eve. Additional photos, taken on the Tuesday when the Palisades fire erupted, indicate that the origin of the smoke matched that trace. According to district residents who spoke with the newspaper, the firefighters' response was not as prompt as it was during the intervention on the 1st of January. The fire raged for 45 minutes before a helicopter appeared, and according to a witness, it did not have water to extinguish the fire.
The authorities have not yet confirmed the cause of any of the fires, but they have promised thorough investigations and to inform the public. According to one theory, the New Year's Eve fire may have continued smouldering and reignited. However, the fire department stated that a crew had inspected the area and did not find any smouldering.
Tragic toll of fires in California
So far, wildfires in California have claimed at least 24 lives and devastated an estimated 16,300 hectares of land, including 12,300 homes and other buildings. The losses amount to over 135 billion dollars, and 180,000 people have had to evacuate.
The aforementioned Palisades fire is the largest of the fires in Los Angeles. It destroyed 9,600 hectares. However, the most tragic is the Eaton fire in Pasadena, where 16 people lost their lives. Services state that the fire threat may persist at least until Wednesday.
