At a Glance
- A California State Parks ranger saw embers still smoldering at the Lachman Fire site on Jan. 1, 2025
- She did not report the findings or close the Temescal Ridge Trail
- Embers reignited six days later, becoming the Palisades Fire
- Why it matters: The disclosure fuels a 10,000-plaintiff lawsuit claiming the state neglected basic land-safety duties
A ranger’s hike up the Temescal Ridge Trail on New Year’s Day ended with photos of smoking ground and a quiet walk back down. Her silence is now central to allegations that State Parks ignored warning signs before the Palisades Fire exploded.
The Overlooked Embers
Video from her deposition, obtained by News Of Los Angeles, shows the ranger admitting she spotted “evidence of smoldering” after the Lachman Fire was declared out. She told lawyers she never alerted fire crews or supervisors and left the park open.
An LA Fire Department after-action report traces the Palisades ignition to those same embers that burned underground for six days.
- Underground embers survived the initial knockdown
- No State Parks staff notified LAFD or CAL FIRE
- The trail remained open to hikers
Lawsuit Points to Land-Owner Duty
More than 10,000 residents, including David Howard-who lost his 30-year family home-are suing state and local agencies. Attorney Roger Behle represents 3,000 of them and argues State Parks had a clear obligation.
> “It’s their land. If they see something, they could call CAL FIRE or they could call LAFD back.”
>
> – Roger Behle, plaintiffs’ attorney
State Parks’ own operations manual, quoted in court filings, says burned land “shall remain closed until department staff have gone up and inspected it.”
| Agency | Claimed Role | Actual Monitoring, Jan. 1 |
|---|---|---|
| California State Parks | Land manager | No inspection reported |
| LAFD | Fire suppression | Left after knockdown |
| CAL FIRE | Not notified | Never revisited site |
Sensitive-Habitat Dispute
State officials say the burn footprint was “not in the area marked as an avoidance area.” Text messages between park staff that day tell a different story:
- “There is an endangered plant population and a cultural site in the immediate area”
- Crews were told to “hold for now” when bulldozers were discussed
A State Parks biologist later asked firefighters to replace cut brush so hikers wouldn’t confuse the hand line for a trail, actions the plaintiffs call interference. The department counters it is “not a firefighting agency.”
Key Takeaways
- State Parks policy requires post-fire safety inspections; none were documented
- Drone video places early smoke at the exact spot ATF later identified as the Palisades origin
- Plaintiffs seek accountability for 12 deaths and thousands of destroyed structures
Howard says the suit aims to prevent a repeat: “The truth is, fire is going to happen again. The question is, how bad will it be?”
