The devastating Pacific Palisades fire, which ravaged affluent areas in Los Angeles, erupted in a location where firefighting efforts were limited due to regulations aimed at protecting endangered plant species. These restrictions, often labeled as “woke laws,” complicated access for firefighters.

In a class action lawsuit involving over 3,000 plaintiffs, court documents unveiled text messages and maps that highlighted state parks officials’ concerns about endangered plants during their response to the Lachman Fire on January 1, 2024. These findings suggest that the protection of certain flora took precedence during critical moments of fire containment efforts.

The Lachman Fire, initially believed to be under control within Topanga State Park, reignited after six days, transforming into the Palisades fire on January 7. This blaze persisted for 24 days, wreaking havoc through the upscale coastal community of Pacific Palisades.

The fire left a tragic toll in its wake: 12 lives were lost, 7,000 homes were destroyed, and the financial damage soared to an estimated $150 billion. As the Palisades fire raged, it coincided with the nearby Eaton fire, further straining Los Angeles’ emergency resources.

Legal representatives have accused State Park Officials of impeding the Los Angeles Fire Department’s efforts to fully extinguish the Lachman Fire. This alleged interference was purportedly driven by a desire to protect the endangered milkvetch plants found in the area, complicating the firefighting operations and contributing to the ensuing disaster.

In messages seen by NewsNation, state park employees discussed their plans to protect the plants during the Lachman fire.

‘There is federally endangered astragalus along the Temescal fire road. Would be nice to avoid cutting it if possible,’ one state park official wrote.

‘Do you have avoidance maps?’

New details have emerged after texts show State Park Officials were worried about endangered plants during the initial response of the Lachman fire

The State Park Officials were protecting the milkvetch plants which were growing in the region

‘I have a couple of READS on standby. I’ll wait to deploy them until you get on scene and assess the situation.’

The official added: ‘Definitely will want to send them down if heavy equipment arrives.’

These maps laid out where the designated avoidance areas were, and firefighters, as part of the state’s wildfire mitigation plan, are instructed to restrict operations in the region in an effort to preserve the sites.

The Palisades Fire reignited within one of the restricted avoidance areas, according to The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. 

Governor Gavin Newsom’s office denied that state park employees were in charge at the burn site, instead blaming another agency.

‘The notion that State Parks favors plants over people is ludicrous,’ a spokesperson for California State Parks said in a statement to the LA Times.

‘State Parks never hinders an active firefighting response, and firefighting decisions are up to the responding agency. 

‘In this instance, the fire in question was deemed by LAFD to be fully contained a few hours after an arsonist started it.’

Governor Gavin Newsom’s office initially denied that any California officials were on the scene until changing their response to that they were not in charge

Contradictory photos shows state park officials at the Topanga State Park with firefighters 

One of the text read: ‘There is federally endangered astragalus along the Temescal fire road. Would be nice to avoid cutting it if possible’

Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, was charged with starting the catastrophic blaze that destroyed thousands of homes and buildings.

But Attorney Roger Behle, representing the 3,000 claimants, refuted the state’s claim to NewsNation: ‘The state’s narrative that they had nothing to do with it, and it’s some other agency’s fault, it’s their responsibility, it’s not ours, flies in the face of the evidence.’

Behle cited photo evidence contradicting Newsom’s office’s claims.

The suit also alleges that the state of California failed to monitor the Lachman fire adequately.

More revealing texts indicated that firefighters warned it was ‘a bad idea’ to leave the smoldering fire. However, they were ordered to leave the scene.

The damning evidence joins a laundry list of failures alleged against the state’s response to the fires.

Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, was charged with starting the catastrophic blaze that destroyed thousands of homes

The Lachman fire was believed to have been extinguished until six days later, it reignited into the the Palisades fire which killed 12 people

The Los Angeles Police Department released an embarrassing report on its response to the fires, putting pressure on city leaders.

Cops released their findings on November 4 after a damning inquiry which found breakdowns in communication, specifically with the Los Angeles Fire Department.

The 92-page review sought to identify areas for improvement but also noted the courageous efforts of emergency responders.

The findings were presented to the Police Commission at the civilian oversight panel’s public meeting on Tuesday, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The report found firefighters lacked enough resources and struggled to communicate clearly in the first 36 hours of the blaze, and that those challenges hampered their response during a critical time. 

It said the department did not pre-deploy enough resources despite warnings of severe winds. 

The Palisades fire went on to become one of the most destructive wildfires in Los Angeles’ history.

The Eaton Fire broke out the same day in thecommunity of Altadena, destroying more than 9,400 homes and killing 19 people.