According to a Los Angeles Times investigation, firefighters initially dispatched to a minor brush fire in Los Angeles, which eventually transformed into the catastrophic Palisades Fire, were instructed to vacate the scene despite the presence of hot tree stumps. This revelation came to light through an examination of firefighter text messages.

The report indicates that on January 2, just a day after the Lachman Fire was considered under control, a battalion chief directed the firefighting team to remove their equipment and leave. However, by January 7, strong winds reignited the lingering embers, leading to the Palisades Fire. This blaze resulted in the destruction of approximately 7,000 structures and claimed 12 lives.

A firefighter stationed at Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) Station 69 in the Pacific Palisades expressed surprise at the command to leave, as reported by the Times. According to the text messages reviewed, the team was aware that the tree stumps remained hot when they withdrew from the site.

Additionally, another firefighter conveyed through a recent text message that the crew was frustrated with the order to exit the area, yet they felt compelled to comply with the directive.

A firefighter is seen confronting the Palisades Fire amid a windstorm on the western side of Los Angeles, California, on January 7, 2025. (Photo by Ringo Chiu/Reuters/TPX Images of the Day)

In another text, a firefighter who was at the site on Jan. 2 said the battalion chief was informed it was a “bad idea” to leave the burn scar unprotected because of visible signs of smoldering terrain, according to the Times.

The newspaper cited other text messages as saying that firefighters were complaining that commanders failed to make sure the mop-up duty at the site was complete.

The LAFD did not immediately respond Friday to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.

Firefighters watch the flames from the Palisades Fire burning a home during a powerful windstorm on Jan. 8, 2025, in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Calif.  (Apu Gomes/Getty Images)

“The January 7 fire was not a rekindle or due to failed suppression but the reactivation of an undetectable holdover fire under extraordinary wind conditions,” LAFD Interim Fire Chief Ronnie Villanueva said earlier this month.

“Holdover fires can be nearly impossible to detect with infrared imaging, as smoldering often occurs deep below the surface, especially in chaparral terrain where dense root systems conceal residual heat. Under extreme winds, low humidity, and prolonged drought, these fires can reignite despite full suppression and containment efforts,” he added.

A drone image shows damage from the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles on Jan. 28, 2025. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

Jonathan Rinderknecht, a 29-year-old from Florida, is facing federal charges in relation to the Palisades Fire.