The firestorms that broke out in January ravaged two distinctly different stretches of Los Angeles County: one with grand views of the Pacific Ocean, the other nestled against the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains.<\/p>\n
But so far, a push from congressional Republicans to investigate the Jan. 7 firestorm and response has been focused almost exclusively on the Palisades fire, which broke out in L.A.\u2019s Pacific Palisades and went on to burn parts of Malibu and surrounding areas.<\/p>\n
In a letter<\/a> to City Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson, two U.S. senators this week intensified that investigation,<\/a> saying they want an enormous trove of documents on Los Angeles Fire Department staffing, wildfire preparations, the city\u2019s water supply and many other topics surrounding the devastating blaze.<\/p>\n U.S. Sens. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) and Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) asked for records related to several issues raised during and after the Palisades fire, including an empty reservoir and the failure to fully extinguish a previous fire that was later identified as the cause.<\/p>\n In contrast, the letter only briefly mentions the Eaton fire, which broke out in the unincorporated community of Altadena and spread to parts of Pasadena. That emergency was plagued by delayed evacuation alerts,<\/a> deployment issues and allegations that electrical equipment operated by Southern California Edison sparked the blaze<\/a>.<\/p>\n Both fires incinerated thousands of homes. Twelve people died in the Palisades fire. In the Eaton fire, all but one of the 19 who died<\/a> were found in west Altadena, where evacuation alerts came<\/a> hours after flames and smoke were threatening the area.<\/p>\n Scott and Johnson gave Harris-Dawson a deadline of Nov. 3 to produce records on several topics specific to the city of L.A.: \u201cdiversity, equity and inclusion\u201d hiring policies at the city\u2019s Fire Department; the Department of Water and Power\u2019s oversight of its reservoirs; and the removal of Fire Chief Kristin Crowley by Mayor Karen Bass earlier this year.<\/p>\n Officials in Los Angeles County said they have not received such a letter dealing with either the Palisades fire or the Eaton fire. <\/p>\n A spokesperson for Johnson referred questions about the letter to Scott\u2019s office. An aide to Scott told The Times this week that the investigation remains focused on the Palisades fire but could still expand. Some Eaton fire records were requested, the spokesperson said, because \u201cthey\u2019re often inextricable in public reports.\u201d<\/p>\n The senators \u2014 who both sit on the Senate\u2019s Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs \u2014 opened the probe after meeting with reality TV star Spencer Pratt, who lost a home in the Palisades fire and quickly became an outspoken critic of the city\u2019s response to the fire and subsequent rebuilding efforts. At the time, the senators called<\/a> the Palisades fire \u201can unacceptable failure of government to protect the lives and property of its citizens.\u201d<\/p>\n The investigation was initially billed as a look at the city\u2019s emergency preparations, including the lack of water in a nearby reservoir and in neighborhood fire hydrants the night of the fire. The Times first reported<\/a> that the Santa Ynez Reservoir, located in Pacific Palisades, had been closed for repairs for nearly a year.<\/p>\n The letter to Harris-Dawson seeks records relating to the reservoir as well as those dealing with \u201cwildfire preparation, suppression, and response … including but not limited to the response to the Palisades and Lachman fires.\u201d<\/p>\n Officials have said the Lachman fire, intentionally set Jan. 1, reignited six days later to become the Palisades fire<\/a>. A suspect was recently arrested on suspicion of arson in the Lachman fire. Now, the senators are raising concerns about why that fire wasn\u2019t properly contained.<\/p>\n The sweeping records request also seeks communications sent to and from each of the 15 council members and or their staff that mention the Palisades and Eaton fires. At this point, it\u2019s unclear whether the city would have a substantial number of documents on the Eaton fire, given its location outside city limits.<\/p>\n Harris-Dawson did not provide comment. But Councilmember Hugo Soto-Mart\u00ednez, who serves on the council\u2019s public safety committee, made clear that he thinks the senators are confused by Southern California\u2019s geography \u2014 and the distinctions between city and county jurisdictions.<\/p>\n \u201cMAGA Republicans couldn\u2019t even look at a map before launching into this ridiculous investigation,\u201d he said. \u201cDEI did not cause the fires, and these senators should take their witch hunts elsewhere,\u201d he said in a statement.<\/p>\n Officials in L.A. County, who have confronted their own hard questions about botched evacuation alerts<\/a> and poor resource deployment<\/a> during the Eaton fire, said they had not received any letters from the senators about either fire. <\/p>\n Neither Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger \u2014 who currently serves as board chair \u2014 nor Supervisor Lindsey Horvath had received such a document request, according to their aides. Barger represents Altadena, while Horvath\u2019s district includes Pacific Palisades, Malibu and unincorporated communities affected by the Palisades fire.<\/p>\n Monday\u2019s letter also seeks records \u201creferring or relating to any reports or investigations of arson, burglary, theft, or looting\u201d in fire-affected areas, as well as the arrest of Jonathan Rinderknecht<\/a>, the Palisades fire arson suspect. It also seeks documents on the council\u2019s efforts to \u201cdismantle systemic racism\u201d<\/a> \u2014 and whether such efforts affected the DWP or the Fire Department. <\/p>\n Alberto Retana, president and chief executive of Community Coalition, a nonprofit group based in Harris-Dawson\u2019s district, said he too views the inquiry from the two senators as a witch hunt \u2014 one that\u2019s targeting L.A. city elected officials while ignoring Southern California Edison.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s been reports that Edison was responsible for the Eaton fire, but there\u2019s [nothing] that shows any concern about that,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Residents in Altadena have previously voiced concerns about what they viewed as disparities<\/a> in the Trump administration\u2019s response to the two fires. The Palisades fire tore through the mostly wealthy neighborhoods of Pacific Palisades and Malibu \u2014 home to celebrities who have since kept the recovery in the spotlight. Meanwhile, many of Altadena\u2019s Black and working-class residents say their communities have been left behind. <\/p>\n