LAFD thought the Jan. 1 fire was out. They didn't use thermal imaging to confirm

"(Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) Los Angeles firefighters did not use thermal imaging technology to detect lingering embers underground after a New Year's Day fire in Pacific Palisades that flared up days later to become one of the most destructive infernos in the city's history. Interim Fire Chief Ronnie Villanueva said in an interview Wednesday that fire officials decided against employing the technology, which would have pinpointed heat underground, because of the fire's eight-acre size."

"In the 36-plus hours that crews spent mopping up the Jan. 1 fire, which federal prosecutors say was deliberately started along a popular hiking trail, firefighters "cold trailed" the perimeter, chopping a line around the fire and feeling for residual heat. They packed up and left on Jan. 2, then returned the next day, after a report of smoke in the area, for another round of cold trailing, Villanueva said."

Firefighters spent more than 36 hours mopping up a Jan. 1 Pacific Palisades fire but chose not to deploy thermal imaging, citing the fire's eight-acre size and equipment depth limitations. Crews cold-trailed the perimeter by chopping lines and feeling for residual heat, packed up on Jan. 2, and returned the next day after a smoke report for additional cold trailing. Interim Fire Chief Ronnie Villanueva noted chaparral roots can extend far deeper than camera reach and downplayed camera effectiveness. Federal documents charge a 29-year-old with intentionally starting the Jan. 1 blaze and label the later Palisades fire a "holdover fire." The Palisades fire caused 12 deaths, burned 23,400 acres, and destroyed more than 6,800 structures.

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