LA wildfires: New theory suggests New Year's Eve revellers to blame for apocalyptic blaze
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Investigators are considering an array of possible ignition sources for the huge wildfires that have killed at least 24 people and destroyed thousands homes and businesses in the Los Angeles area. In hilly, upscale Pacific Palisades, home to Hollywood stars like Jamie Lee Curtis and Billy Crystal who lost their houses in the fire, officials have placed the origin of the wind-whipped blaze behind a home on Piedra Morada Drive, which sits above a densely wooded creek. While lightning is the most common source of fires in the US, according to the National Fire Protection Association, investigators were able to rule that out quickly.
There were no reports of lightning in the Palisades area or the terrain around the Eaton Fire, which started in east Los Angeles County and has also destroyed hundreds of homes. The next two most common causes are fires intentionally set and those sparked by utility lines.
Now, a new theory has emerged which claims that the Palisades Fire could have started by the rekindling of a New Year's Eve blaze. According to a Washington Post review of archived radio transmissions, a Los Angeles County firefighter said the devastating blaze "started real close to where the last fire was on New Year's Eve.".
Another firefighter said in the dispatch: "It looks like it's going to make a good run." Just six days earlier, firefighters had spent hours using helicopters to fight the blaze. According to the newspaper, the new fire started in the vicinity of the NYE blaze, with experts saying it is possible that it was reignited in windy conditions.
