"Lawyers representing victims of the Palisades fire are seeking to depose Los Angeles firefighters to shed light on allegations that a California State Parks official restricted how the Los Angeles Fire Department handled an earlier blaze that reignited into the deadly firestorm that destroyed thousands of homes. The LAFD's handling of the Jan. 1 Lachman fire has come under increasing scrutiny after a federal investigation concluded firefighters failed to put the small brush fire out and it came roaring back to life on Jan. 7, killing 12 people and destroying more than 6,800 structures."
"Alexander "Trey" Robertson, one of the attorneys who filed the complaint against the state, told The Times that a fire official up on the Lachman burn scar Jan. 1 claimed that a California State Parks representative told them "they couldn't bring a bulldozer in to cut a line around the fire and they could not do mop up with their hand tools, dig up around any native plant species." "They basically put plants over people and wouldn't let the firefighters attempt to fully mop up this fire.""
Victims' lawyers seek depositions of Los Angeles firefighters to investigate claims that a California State Parks official limited LAFD actions during the Jan. 1 Lachman fire. A federal investigation found firefighters failed to fully extinguish the small brush fire, which reignited on Jan. 7, killing 12 people and destroying over 6,800 structures. Plaintiff attorneys allege State Parks did not adequately monitor the Topanga State Park burn scar and interfered with mop-up by prohibiting bulldozers and digging around native plants. The LAFD did not respond to questions; state officials strongly deny obstructing firefighting and rejected the characterization.
Read at Los Angeles Times
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