14th January 2025 – (Los Angeles) The devastating Palisades fire, which has resulted in at least eight of the 24 fatalities reported from a series of wildfires in the Los Angeles area, is believed to have been reignited by strong winds that may have stirred remnants of a previous blaze linked to New Year’s Eve fireworks.
The fire, which ravaged the affluent Pacific Palisades region known for its celebrity residents, reportedly originated behind a home on Piedra Morada Drive, situated adjacent to a densely wooded creek. According to a report by the Washington Post, satellite imagery captured smoke over the area shortly after the fire ignited, suggesting a connection to the earlier celebration.
Michael Gollner, a fire scientist at the University of California, Berkeley, explained, “We know that fires flare up and go from being a smouldering flame to a burning flame. It’s very possible that something from the previous fire, in the span of a week, flared up and caused ignition.”
Witness accounts further support this theory; a hiker near the site detected smoke before the fire erupted, while locals expressed frustration at those who reportedly set off fireworks during the New Year celebrations.
As investigators probe the origins of the catastrophic fires, they are considering various potential ignition sources for the blazes that have claimed lives and destroyed thousands of properties. Although lightning is typically a common cause of wildfires in the United States, authorities quickly ruled it out for this incident, noting no lightning activity in the Palisades or surrounding areas.
John Lentini, owner of Scientific Fire Analysis, emphasised that the approach to determining the fire’s cause remains consistent regardless of its size. “This was once a small fire,” he remarked, indicating that investigators will focus on the fire’s origin to ascertain its cause.
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English (US) ·