A newly released operator call reportedly reveals the Lachman Fire, which sparked the Palisades Fire, broke out on state park property, despite Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office continuing to deny that the state had any responsibility.
Pacific Palisades residents have accused the state and its officials since January of contributing to the disastrous fire, filing a lawsuit alleging California failed to monitor embers from the Lachman Fire. While Newsom’s office has rejected the claims, a KNX-AM/FM journalist obtained audio recordings of a dispatcher speaking with multiple officials on Jan. 1, in which some could be heard confirming the fire was on state park property.
The nearly three-minute recording begins with a Mountains Recreation & Conservation Authority (MRCA) official contacting a dispatcher from an allied agency with the State Parks, stating he was on his way to a brush fire in the Pacific Palisades and noting it was on state parks property.
“If you wanted to reach out and advise the Topanga sector folks, it’s at the top of Palisades Drive,” the MRCA official stated.
“Okay. All right, I’ll go ahead and reach out to the Topanga sector,” the dispatcher responded.
Contacting another official, the dispatcher could be heard relaying the information. However, the dispatcher added that while they had already contacted L.A. City Fire, there was doubt about whether the brush fire was on state property.
“There’s some discrepancy, but one of the MRCA units went in service and said it is to advise for that section,” the dispatcher added.
“I don’t mean to throw shade, but I’m 99% sure it is not State Parks property,” the second official stated.
The dispatcher could be heard agreeing with the second official before making a third call to the Fire Paramedics Operator 253 line, noting it was regarding a fire over on Topanga. The dispatcher was then connected to a command post at Station 23, where an official confirmed the fire was on state property.
“Yes, it is going to be in State Parks property. And yes, you do need to send a representative,” the official stated before giving her a location to send a representative out.
In a statement provided to the Daily Caller News Foundation after publication, Deputy Director of Communications & Marketing for California State Parks Marty Greenstein stated that the recording does not contradict any statements made by the state.
“State Parks never said, in court or otherwise, that the department was not notified of the Lachman Fire. To be clear: State Parks was not aware that there was a fire continuing to burn underground. LAFD declared the fire fully contained a few hours after it started. The area in question in Topanga State Park lies within Los Angeles city limits making it the responsibility of the Los Angeles City Fire Department, not the state’s,” Greenstein said.
“State Parks personnel being on scene in no way means that they were responsible for, or in control of, firefighting activities. Nor were they responsible for determining the fire was fully contained,” Greenstein added. “State Parks never hinders an active firefighting response, and firefighting decisions are up to the responding agency. In this instance, the fire in question was deemed by LAFD to be fully contained a few hours after it was started by an arsonist.”
Following the arrest of 29-year-old Jonathan Rinderknecht for allegedly maliciously starting what eventually became the Palisades Fire, officials confirmed the Palisades Fire was a continuation of the Lachman Fire.
Text messages first released by former reality star Spencer Pratt on his social media in October revealed firefighters warned that the Lachman Fire hadn’t been properly put out, with various hot spots reportedly still burning. Despite those concerns, local resources completely cleared the area by 4:41 p.m., and firefighters were reportedly told by a battalion chief to pack up and leave by Jan. 2.
In response to Palisades residents’ lawsuit, the state claimed victims couldn’t blame California because the state allegedly had no notice of the Lachman Fire from the start, according to NewsNation. But a Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) report stated a parks representative was contacted and on scene at the Lachman Fire by 4 a.m. on Jan. 1, the outlet reported.
Over 3,500 Palisades Fire victims filed a $10 billion class action lawsuit in July alleging the city of Los Angeles and five government entities were not only negligent, but mismanaged public lands and utilities, making them financially liable for the fire’s destruction.
In November, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Samantha P. Jessner limited some of the fire victims’ attorneys’ requests but ordered the depositions of 12 Los Angeles firefighters and five California State Parks employees. The request also included turning over documents related to the Lachman Fire in order to “achieve some limited discovery that is meant to preserve some of the recollections,” according to NBC4.
Additionally, NewsNation obtained a photo showing a California State Parks representative speaking with a battalion chief and two other firefighters at the Lachman Fire site.
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