"McIndoe, a captain at Fire Station 69 in Pacific Palisades, didn't think the plan was a good idea, he said in sworn testimony obtained by The Times. He had read the National Weather Service's forecast for the day - temperatures were expected to be warmer - and handling any lingering hot spots would be easier with hoses in place."
"At one point, McIndoe said, he came across a smoldering ash pit. He retrieved a backpack with water from his engine, sprayed into the ground with a couple gallons of water and dug up the dirt with his hand tool until he was satisfied it was cool."
"Transcripts and videos of the testimony were released Thursday and Friday, backing up earlier reporting by The Times that crews were ordered to pack up their hoses despite signs that the Lachman fire was not completely out."
On January 2, 2025, Fire Station 69 Captain Michael McIndoe received orders to pick up hoses left at the Lachman fire scene. McIndoe expressed concerns to Battalion Chief Mario Garcia about the decision, citing weather forecasts and the presence of potential hot spots that required hose access for safety. Despite his warning, Garcia's orders remained unchanged. McIndoe discovered smoldering ash pits during hose retrieval and manually extinguished one with water. Days later, high winds caused embers from the Lachman fire to ignite the Palisades fire, resulting in 12 deaths and thousands of destroyed homes. Depositions from a dozen firefighters in a lawsuit by Palisades fire victims confirmed crews were ordered to remove hoses despite evidence the fire was not completely extinguished.
#palisades-fire #fire-management #emergency-response #wildfire-investigation #los-angeles-fire-department
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