LOS ANGELES (CNS) – On top of extreme weather conditions and dry vegetation that fueled the devastating Palisades Fire that killed 12 people and leveled much of the community, leadership and communication challenges, exacerbated by limited resources, impeded the Los Angeles Fire Department’s initial response to the conflagration, according to a city-commissioned review released Wednesday.
The LAFD released the “After-Action Review Report” Wednesday after previously withholding it due to an ongoing federal investigation into the cause of the fire. The report was released on the same day that federal prosecutors announced the arrest of 29-year-old former Pacific Palisades resident, Jonathan Rinderknecht, for allegedly sparking the deadly fire.
According to fire officials, the after-action report is an internal document that is not something typically shared with the public. But with such a large interest from residents, LAFD and city officials decided to make the document available to the public.
It provides a detailed sequence of events that occurred in the first 36 hours of the blaze, outlining successes, challenges, lessons learned and recommendations to improve the Fire Department’s response to future emergencies.
The report pointed to a series of what the department considered to be successes — most notably the preservation of thousands of lives. But it also identified a series of challenges, primarily that the initial response to the blaze lacked adequate resources for the conditions, with some LAFD staff allowed to go off duty the morning of the fire despite the severe weather conditions.
The report noted that the department factored “fiscally responsibility” into the pre-deployment staffing decisions.
“LAFD command staff determined not to hold over off going LAFD members to fill every available seat,” according to the report. “The fire conditions and initial ferocity of fire behavior overwhelmed the immediately available resources in the Palisades area. A recall of all members to fill every available seat was implemented after the start of the Palisades incident.”
The report added: “The initial response dispatched to the Palisades incident lacked the appropriate resources for the weather conditions typically associated with Red Flag conditions that the department would normally respond with. Requesting engines specifically rather than the closest available resources delays the response time of arriving to the incident.”
It also noted that following the fire’s outbreak, most firefighters assigned to the blaze worked for more than 36 hours without a break, with many not getting rest for more than 48 hours, “putting them at risk for long-term exposure to smoke inhalation and carbon monoxide.”
“Physical exhaustion caused performance and safety concerns,” according to the document. “The combination of fatigue, exhaustion and sleep deprivation severely hindered their ability to make safe decisions.”
The report goes on to describe difficulties in communication and coordination among responding agencies as the fire overwhelmed resources on the ground, with the flames advancing rapidly amid winds topping 100 mph in some locations. There was also confusion as the incident command post had to repeatedly be moved to a safer location because of the advancing flames.
Key takeaways for the department noted in the report include leadership changes and stronger recall protocols, meaning holding people over to fill apparatus — such as fire trucks and other firefighting vehicles — as well as strengthening interagency collaboration, Interim LAFD Chief Ronnie Villanueva told City News Service. He noted that public notification systems and communications need to be improved as well.
According to the Mayor’s Office, the Fire Department has taken steps since January to improve operations, including changed leadership, upgraded communications technology, enhanced wildfire training and evacuation drills.
“It is vital we learn from what was effective, like the relentless heroism of firefighters responding to the blaze, and the challenges we faced in order to build a stronger emergency response system to prepare for whatever may come our way,” Mayor Karen Bass said in a statement.
“Thousands of families are still displaced, and every day they go without a home is a day too long. My commitment, and the commitment of the entire city, is that we will continue to do everything we can to bring Angelenos back home,” Bass added.
Villanueva told CNS in a telephone interview that the devastating Palisades Fire was the result of a “holdover fire” — in other words, it was a re-ignition of a previous blaze that was believed to have been doused in the same area in the early morning hours of Jan. 1. But federal officials said Wednesday morning the original fire continued to smolder underground in the root system, as much as 15 to 20 feet below ground.
Villanueva said such smoldering is difficult to detect.
“What we can do now is use drones to see if there are any flare ups at all, but remember when we go over with a drone, of if you’re using thermal imaging cameras, it only does down 12 inches, so if there’s anything that’s deep rooted, you’re not going to see it, you’re not going to find it, and you’re definitely not going to extinguish it,” Villanueva told CNS. “So that could (be) living underground for a very long time.”
Villanueva added: “First of all, the Palisades Fire was a devastating tragedy, one that has left a deep wound in our hearts and in the city. We grieve alongside the families and communities who have endured unimaginable loss. So, it’s a tough day today, but my heart goes out to everyone.”
Rinderknecht is expected back in Florida federal court before a magistrate judge Thursday morning for a detention hearing, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
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