It has previously been reported that the deadly Palisades fire in California was actually sparked by a fire that had been intentionally set on January 1, which smoldered for a week and then reignited into a raging inferno.
The deadly fire ultimately charred 23,400 acres and leveled more than 6,800 structures, including many homes in Pacific Palisades and Malibu. Twelve people died in the fire.
Now, the Los Angeles Times just dropped a bombshell report on Thursday revealing that firefighters were literally ordered to leave the smoldering burn site on January 2.
The LA Times writes: Firefighters mopping up a small brush fire that authorities say reignited as the Palisades fire five days later were ordered to leave the original burn scene even though they complained the ground was still smoldering and rocks remained hot to the touch, according to firefighter text messages reviewed by The Times.
To the firefighters’ surprise, their battalion chief ordered them to roll up their hoses and pull out of the area on Jan. 2 — the day after the 8-acre blaze was declared contained — rather than stay and make sure there were no hidden embers that could spark a new fire, the text messages said.
On the morning of Jan. 7, according to federal authorities, strong winds stoked the remnants of the New Year’s Day blaze into the firestorm that killed 12 people and destroyed thousands of homes in Pacific Palisades, Malibu and Topanga.
In one text message, a firefighter who was at the scene on Jan. 2 wrote that the battalion chief had been told it was a “bad idea” to leave the burn scar unprotected because of the visible signs of smoldering terrain. “And the rest is history,” the firefighter wrote in recent weeks.
The newly-disclosed text messages, among 3 firefighters and a third party, reveal that the firefighters feared the fire could reignite. It reportedly burned underground in a canyon root system until strong winds rekindled it and it quickly became completely out of control.
One firefighter reportedly said that crew members were upset when told to pack up and leave, but that they could not ignore orders. The same firefighter said when the January 7 inferno started, they all knew it was a rekindle of the original January 1 fire.
Text messages show firefighters questioned orders to leave small blaze that authorities say reignited as the deadly Palisades firehttps://t.co/Y7S2wG29Zr
— Los Angeles Times (@latimes) October 30, 2025
Ordered by some DEI hire, no doubt. https://t.co/nKZtGEhiik
— James Woods (@RealJamesWoods) October 31, 2025
READ MORE from the Los Angeles Times.
Fox News host Will Cain addressed the stunning report during his show on Friday, and noted that California Gov. Gavin Newsom first tried to blame the fire on “climate change.”
WATCH:
RPT: CA FIREFIGHTERS TOLD TO IGNORE SIGNS IF FIRE@willcain‘s full monologue ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/2ot8GbhYL1
— The Will Cain Show (@WillCainShow) October 31, 2025
Earlier this month, authorities announced the arrest of 29-year-old Jonathan Rinderknecht, who is suspected of setting the initial fire on New Year’s Eve.
BREAKING: DOJ announces arrest of suspect believed responsible for deadly Palisades fire
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