This was the New Year’s Eve Fire or Lachman Fire in the Palisades Highlands. It is suspected that it rekindled the deadly January 7 fire.
Photo: Mitch Burmeister
The origin of the Palisades Fire is still under investigation almost nine months after it destroyed nearly 7,000 homes/businesses and the lives of so many. Many residents suspect it was a reignition of the January 1 fire in the Highlands that was started by fireworks.
One resident wrote: “hearsay, but I also heard that authorities know the identity of the kids who started the January 1 fire AND that it is now clear that the fires of January 7 and 8 were a re-ignition of that fire, which was NOT being monitored as it should have been. The kids were minors, from wealthy families. Personally, I am hoping that the kids do not get off with a slap on the wrist AND that their parents are (publicly) held legally and financially accountable for their actions. Their behavior was beyond reckless.”
CTN received a refreshing letter from Kiyan Arshadi a senior at Laguna Beach High School on September 23.
He wrote: “Recently there was a fire here in Laguna Beach that was suspected to have been caused by fireworks. As residents of Laguna Beach, we saw firsthand how incredibly scary it was, and we also realized how lucky we were that things didn’t turn out worse than they did. We were also reminded of the fires in Palisades, which were devastating for so many people.”
With his brothers, Dastan and Rosteen they turned in fireworks to the Laguna Beach fire department. They then started a youth-led fire-safety initiative called @Sparkwhyz talking about the fire safety.
In conjunction with the City of Laguna Beach and its fire department, the Arshadi brothers will lead the first citywide fireworks turn-in event to be held on October 18.
“Working alongside our fire department and city officials, our goal is to protect our community and inspire other kids to take action too – and now they’re hoping to grow it beyond Laguna and make it a national youth-led movement,” Arshadi said. “Our long-term goal is to host two city-wide turn-ins a year, connect with other fire departments, and get Sparkwhyz into schools so students can start real conversations about fireworks and their dangers.”
He was asked where kids buy/receive their fireworks, and he said his brother got them through friends. “That’s usually how it happens,” Arshadi said. “Kids pass them around, sell them, or get them from a parent. Around here, a lot come from Huntington Beach since they’re so easy to buy there.”
“Honestly, I think fireworks are popular with teens because they’re loud, exciting, a little scary, and kind of a thrill,” he said. “Around the 4th of July or New Year’s, there’s this expectation that fireworks are just part of the celebration, so kids get hyped to join in.”
Arshadi said, “But honestly no one is talking about fire safety at schools. It seems like it has gotten ‘old’ and it’s not mentioned as much so maybe kids don’t really hear it too often. We hope that by turning on our fireworks and taking a stance and starting conversations, it will spark a change and bring the conversation about fire safety top of mind and back into communities before bad things happen.”
They are hoping to grow @sparkwhyz beyond Laguna and into a national youth movement, and hope to reach out to celebrity athletes like JJ Redick, Steve Kerr, and LeBron James, who were directly affected by the Palisades fire in 2025 for support.
“Since they know first-hand how damaging fireworks can be, we think their voices could really help inspire other young people to join SparkWhyz and take fire safety seriously,” Arshadi said.
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Kiyan, Dastan & Rosteen Arshadi
Founders | SparkWhyz “Students leading the way to keep our communities safe.” |
The NYE fire ember a& area should have been monitored especially knowing winds were due & that would kick up surface dirt.
The NYE fire ember a& area should have been monitored especially knowing winds were due & that would kick up surface dirt.
This is the best thing I’ve read all day. These kids give us hope.
Wow, talk about a blast! Seriously though, these Arshadi brothers are really lighting up a fire under everyone with @Sparkwhyz. Who knew turning in fireworks and leading a citywide initiative could be such a bright idea? Its great to see kids taking the initiative, especially since the only thing they seem to be hearing about is how loud and exciting fireworks are, not the kind of a thrill they can be for disaster. Hope this initiative goes off with a bang and doesnt just fizzle out!free ai logo generator no watermark
Wow, talk about lighting up the scene in a different way! These Arshadi brothers are really showing initiative, turning over fireworks like theyre collecting old gym memberships. And aiming for a national movement? Bold! Maybe they should start by说服 those celebrity athletes to light off some safety tips, rather than actual fireworks. Because lets face it, explaining fire safety isnt as hyped as, say, setting something on fire (safely, of course, in a controlled environment… somewhere). But kudos to them for trying to make fireworks less like a recipe for disaster and more like a topic for actual conversation, even if its currently the most exciting thing happening in school assemblies besides the fire drill itself. Keep up the spark, kids!basketball stars unblocked