Full coverage: What to know about the investigations into Eaton and Palisades fires
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A series of devastating wildfires burned across Los Angeles County in January. The Times looks at how the deadly blazes started, the conditions that allowed for widespread destruction and how local government fell short in efforts to protect and alert the public.
Authorities in L.A. County say the recent uptick in arson arrests was probably the result of increased public attention to common smaller fires, not the work of copycats.
The vast majority of homes destroyed in the Eaton fire were outside of Cal Fire’s “very high” fire hazard severity zones, yet a newer approach by an independent company had found Altadena had “severe” wildfire risk.
Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Long Beach) has sent letters to L.A. County and software company Genasys requesting information on ‘precise failures’ that led to erroneous alerts.
With thousands of lives at risk, a mobile command post tasked with issuing evacuation orders struggled to keep pace with the Eaton fire’s rapid progress.
Southern California Edison claims there were no electrical anomalies on its transmission lines in Eaton Canyon leading up to the Eaton fire.
Edison says current increase “remained within the design limits and operating criteria” for the circuits and “did not trigger system protection on these lines.”
A video shows arcing at a Southern California Edison tower, then a fire at the tower’s base, suggesting the Eaton fire may have been caused by electrical equipment.
‘Mom, are we going to have to run?’ Here’s how the first 24 hours of our unprecedented conflagration unfolded across L.A. County
Southern California Edison discovered signs of an encampment about 300 yards from the spot where the Eaton fire is suspected to have started.
Despite upgrades to wireless alerts system, emergency warnings were often ineffective when most needed during the Los Angeles wildfires. Some were sent to too many people, some to too few.
In late January 2024, after a series of rainstorms, a DWP property manager spotted a tear in the reservoir’s floating cover, according to internal emails reviewed by The Times.
After a report from The Times, officials have called for an external review into delayed evacuation alerts in western Altadena, during the Eaton fire.
A judge on Tuesday approved a temporary restraining order for Southern California Edison to preserve data and equipment related to the area where the Eaton fire started.
As the Eaton fire spread, many areas were notified of evacuation warnings and orders well in advance. In the heart of Altadena, where all 17 reported deaths occurred, evacuation orders came hours after fire did.
Radio reports reveal the scramble to contain the Eaton fire as it exploded from a 10-acre brush fire to a devastating 14,000-acre blaze that destroyed thousands of homes.
Thirteen years ago, the LAFD took the type of dramatic measures in preparation of dangerous winds that the department failed to employ last week in advance of the Palisades fire.
A neighborhood where the deadly Eaton fire began was mostly spared from the devastation in surrounding Altadena, with the same gusting winds that whipped up the inferno thought to have helped those closest to the ignition point avoid disaster.
The California Public Utilities Commission voted to approve Southern California Edison’s wildfire mitigation plan, ignoring requests that the decision be delayed.
When fire hydrants ran dry, the L.A. Department of Water and Power struggled to get water where needed. The utility’s operations chief explains the decisions as the fire spread.
The L.A.-area fires may pose the first big test of California’s wildfire fund, which was set up in 2019 to protect utilities from bankruptcy.
State regulators criticized Southern California Edison for falling behind in inspecting transmission lines in areas at high risk of wildfires just months before the deadly Eaton fire, according to state documents.
The origin point of the Palisades fire could be around a beloved hiking trail with ocean views — and where another fire was sparked days earlier. Here is what we know.
The court filings blame the utility for the fire despite the fact that the blaze’s cause is still under investigation.
Investigators are looking into whether downed Southern California Edison equipment ignited the Hurst fire near Sylmar, officials said.
Investigators looking into the cause of the devastating Eaton fire have been studying the site around an electrical tower in Eaton Canton. Residents took photos of the early moments of the fire and believe it started there.
Emergency evacuation alerts have gone off the rails, pinging people seemingly at random. Experts say that such errors can sow mistrust in the alert system, potentially endangering residents down the line.
Employee raises and other expenses are expanding the Los Angeles Fire Department’s budget. At the same time, the agency has had to scale back operations in recent months.
A reservoir in the Palisades that holds 117 million gallons of water was offline this month for previously scheduled maintenance.
Firefighters in Pacific Palisades and Altadena have repeatedly been hampered by low water pressure and dry hydrants, revealing limitations in local water systems designed to supply neighborhoods.
Local fire officials acknowledged Wednesday that they were overwhelmed by the power and size of the four major fires burning in Los Angeles County.