California Governor Gavin Newsom at a news conference on January 7.
The Palisades Fire broke out on January 7, shortly before noon. Later that afternoon, around 4 p.m. Governor Gavin Newsom said he had “pre-positioned hundreds of assets and personnel on Sunday in anticipation of the wind event, water tenders, seven helicopters,” and “by no stretch of the imagination are we out of the words.” On closer examination by some news sources, the positioned resources Newsom referred to were not in Pacific Palisades. CalFire’s Nick Schuler clarified the resources had been moved from Northern California to Southern California.
About 7,000 Palisades homes and businesses were destroyed in the next three days. On Friday, January 10, Newsom ordered an independent investigation of the LADWP over the loss of water pressure and deliberate shut down of the Santa Ynez Reservoir by the LADWP, calling it “deeply troubling.”
The Governor further acknowledged that the loss of water pressure “likely impaired” the ability of firefighters to protect homes and evacuation corridors in Pacific Palisades.
Former LADWP manager, Martin Adams, an expert on the Los Angeles water supply system, confirmed that water pressure in Pacific Palisades would have “lasted longer” had the Santa Ynez Reservoir been operable. Since the fire, there has been no information released to the public about the status of this investigation, who is leading it and when the results may be released.
CTN contacted the governor’s office before Labor Day and asked about the independent investigation. After receiving no response, CTN, sent an additional message on September 9 to his public information officer Tara Gallegos, “I had sent an email before Labor Day, but never received a response—I’m resending this request for an update and a statement from the governor about the Palisades Fire.”
Gallegos wrote back on September 10, “The results of the investigation will be made public once available.”
CTN responded that it has been almost nine months and wanted to know if there was a timeline for this investigation. This editor wrote “People are getting impatient waiting for some sort of governmental action.”
On September 23, Gallegos sent this editor the company working on the investigation, UL Research Institutes, based in Maryland.
Manager Outreach and Engagement Larua Zilverberg responded “Data collection for the independent analysis from UL Research Institutes and its Fire Safety Research Institute is in progress. The analysis will be done in two phases, and the timing once finalized will be shared with the public. Additional details about the process and timeline can be found at https://fsri.org/research/california-fires-independent-analysis.
She was asked when phase one [“Fact-finding About How the California Fire Incident Unfolded”] would be done and she replied, “As soon as we have finalized timing, I’ll be back in touch.”
The Palisades Fire destroyed nearly 7,000 buildings.
Photo: CAL FIRE
It’s easier to get 12 men to the moon than to get an answer from the CA governor’s office 9 months later. And this clown wants to run in ’28? God help us all. ?
It is possible that we will all get an accurate report of events when Hell freezes over and unlikely before that.
The investigation is wonderful and I’m sure we’re all curious as to the findings and the timeline and the spread pattern of the fire. But there is no mention at the website of determining the actual cause of the fire. There is zero reason that the cause should not already have been determined and shared with the public.
The powers that be – the DWP, the LAPD, Governor Newsom and Mayor Bass all know the cause of the fire… how can they not? The question is: Will they ever publicly disclose the cause of the fire and who was responsible for the fireworks that preceded it?
They will publicly release the cause of the fires once they are termed out of office and in new elected positions.
Nobody’s squakin’ because of the lawsuits. Pure and simple.
“Since the fire, there has been no information released to the public about the status of this investigation, who is leading it and when the results may be released.”
In other words, exactly the response you all expected from your leaderless, inept, corrupt, etc. state government.
The real fun begins when the results of the investigation are released – assuming that ever actually happens.
The wheels of justice turn slowly. The wheels of politics stall when the truth is uncomfortable.