Palisades Residents, Concerned about Fires, Were Ignored

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Businesses on Sunset across from Ralphs grocery store were destroyed. Station 69 at Carey was saved.

The devastating fire did not have to happen. Over the next few days, CTN will remind people of the warnings that we sent to officials, with no action  taken.

FIREWORKS, HOMELESS AND PROPANE TANKS:

Residents from all areas of Pacific Palisades have warned officials that the fireworks that are being lit are causing fires, but no one has taken residents seriously.

Resident felt that the fire on Halloween 2023 on Temescal Park that raced up the hill by Tahitian Terrace was set off by fireworks. But officials said the cause of the fire was under investigation. Pacific Palisades Senior Lead Officer Brian Espin wrote in his November 1 Crime Report that “Our Beach Detail Officers and I met with the Fire Dept (Station 69) this morning to take a look at the area involved. It is still an unknown ignition source, but we think based on the location and obvious sounds of some fireworks that were set off that might be the cause.”

Several Huntington neighbors have filed repeated complaints with the police and firefighters about the fireworks set off in the park, warning that the sparks could cause a major fire.

Last July, firefighters put out a fire on one-eighth of an acre of medium brush at 4:39 p.m., in the 1000 block of Palisades Drive. Palisades Drive was temporarily closed while firefighters were on site. A woman, describes as a transient, became a person of interest and was put under arrest as possibly the arsonist. A full investigation is underway.

A five-acre brush fire was reported in the Palisades Highlands near the Santa Ynez Reservoir and adjacent to Topanga State Park at 9:50 a.m. on November 13.

According to LAFD this is “slow moving in heavy brush. It is topography driven (not wind) with steep slopes.” The cause of the fire is under investigation.

An hour later, LAFD reported that more than “60 firefighters on scene have stopped all forward progress. The precisely targeted, rapid water drops from LAFD Air Operations combined with the firefighter’s aggressive fire attack on the ground held the fire to approximately one acre (revised from initial size).”

Los Angele Fire Department Margaret Stewart told KTLA News that this area is a challenge because there are no hydrants, but that water tenders (large trucks carrying water) were being sent to the area.

“Fortunately, we’re not in a Santa Ana event,” she said, “but the moisture level in our vegetation is critically low.”

It was then that several residents asked CTN why the Santa Ynez reservoir was empty. That query has now become a major news story because if it had been filled it could have allowed more water pressure for firefighters in the Palisades fire.

Additionally, there is a large reservoir that is below the playground on Temescal. Water has been gushing down that street for the past month, an officials notified by numerous residents. CTN asked, but still had not received a reply about the cause of and where the water was coming from—had that been attended to, would it have made a difference?

On New Year’s Eve at 12:17 fireworks were set off around the Palisades. This time a fire started in heavy brush at Via Las Palmas in the Highlands. There was no wind that night and firefighters were able to put it out over the next several hours, holding the fire to eight acres.

Spokesperson Margaret Stewart was asked if fireworks could be the cause but CTN was told no cause of the fire had been determined.

Less than a week later, the Palisades fire started in the same location. Could it have been an ember from the previous fire? Who knows because this fire is “currently under investigation.”

The cause of fires has to be determined, so people can be held accountable – and maybe future fires can be prevented.

The L.A. Department of Water and Power has to ensure that there is water in hydrants to fight house fires. There is literally no excuse for this dereliction of duty and DWP and the City should be held liable.

Residents, have not only asked for officials to stop the fireworks, but also asked that propane tanks used on sidewalks by illegal taco vendors be banned. If an explosion were to take place, it could also start a bad fire.

So many small fires have been put out in Pacific Palisades, but the causes were never identified.

Blocks and blocks of homes and whole neighborhoods were wiped out by the fire.

Next up to examine – power lines, brush clearance and how some homes remained standing.

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6 Responses to Palisades Residents, Concerned about Fires, Were Ignored

  1. Kim Feder says:

    An article published today in the Los Angeles Times mentioned that the lack of water occurred in the “higher elevations”. What are the higher elevations? What elevation is defined as a “higher elevation”. In Castellammare we lost water and the firefighters left.
    Is Castellamare considered a higher elevation? It is the lowest in elevation overall in all of Palisades. The residents of Pacific Palisades deserve an honest, clear and concise answer to what really occurred.

  2. Mike says:

    November 6, 1961
    I was a Junior @ UCLA on the subject date. The Bel Air fire took place and destroyed 484 homes. It was exacerbated by inadequate water!!!
    Sound familiar?

  3. Dana Dalton says:

    They knew the Santa Ynez Reservoir was empty but they denied it. those of us who asked , were called “ conspiracy theorists “. Turned out, it was true and they lied.
    Btw – this is NOT “historic”. No, the Bel-Air fire of 1961 burned the EXACT fire path
    just different direction. This fire went from ocean to 405, in 1961, it went
    405 to the ocean. No, this was complete criminal miss management of the Santa Monica Mountains by our city government. – my opinion. Karen Bass RESIGN.
    No management of the Santa Monica Mtns. Can Rick Caruso please become Mayor now
    It’s too dangerous living under Bass and Newsom

  4. Dana Dalton says:

    When the Eldercare building in the highlands was getting approved, we told the city over and over again how Palisades Drive always became a traffic jam and dangerous when there was a fire, we were ignored by the city. Told by Boningroup that everything was “fine” . But it wasn’t.
    It always rains around MLK holiday , when we have torrential mudslides what will be their excuse then. What will the city tell us then when it rains in 10 days (as it always has) for the last 63 years I’ve been alive.
    This was the complete miss management of the west side of Los Angeles and they should be held accountable.
    None of this is unusual, that is all a lie.
    By the way the news stations that talk to us like we’re second graders is so insulting.
    Anybody who’s a grown-up knows the history of Los Angeles will know the fire will reach the 405 just like 1961.

  5. Former Huntington Resident says:

    My husband and I have been documenting snd sending videos of fireworks and explosions in the park for YEARS to Brian Espin and Scott Alpert and we have been told (for years) there is nothing they can do about it. My husband has chased down teens with explosives and been greeted with shrugs by LAPD and statements such as “well, did you have any property damage?” It is outrageous that we lived for years with constant nightly explosions in the park and our local enforcement and city officials did absolutely nothing. It is outrageous as residents that we tolerated this apathy in our leadership.

    RAP officials such as Jimmy Kim, Sonja Jimenez and
    Kortley Norris have similarly ignored all warnings. They should be named and shamed. Many of my letters to them have ended with, “when a serious tragedy and loss of life results, LAPD and city officials who have long ignored this problem will have blood on their hands.” Well here we are.

    Additionally, I have written letters documenting the dangers of city eucalyptus trees allowed to grow into massive sizes (100+ feet), far too close to homes. These trees are well known fire propagators and are described as “tiki torches” when lit, spewing flaming embers for miles. I have no doubt the 90 foot tall, shaggy and decrepit eucalyptus tree 8 feet behind our fence (that the City refused to remove) contributed to the demise of our home and entire block.

    Shame on all city and park officials who IGNORED these issues. You are all guilty of criminal negligence and I pray you are held accountable.

  6. Rusty Redican says:

    The Tragic irony in the Pacific Palisades, is that in 2015, they put their $$$ where their mouth is to get homeless help and off the streets. We were successful! But now it’s they who find themselves Homeless!😡

    This entire debacle angers me to my core!

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