The Palisades Fire that has devastated Los Angeles may have reignited from scorch marks left by an earlier inferno that is believed to have been caused by fireworks set off on New Year’s Eve, according to the Washington Post.
The remnants of the New Year’s Eve fire likely could’ve been reignited by strong winds - which have made the current blazes difficult to control - even 6 days after it was put out.
"An analysis showed that the new fire started in the vicinity of the old fire, raising the possibility that the New Year’s Eve fire was reignited, which can occur in windy conditions," the newspaper reported.
According to residents, firefighters’ response was much slower than on New Year’s Eve.
The greater Los Angeles area had been under warnings of intense wind and droughts in the days leading up to the wildfire outbreaks. This combination stood to create the perfect formula for fires to reignite, even campfires that had been cold for days.
Satellite imagery obtained by the newspaper taken about 20 minutes after the Palisades Fire began indicates that the origin of the smoke overlapped with the burn scar from the New Year’s Eve fire in the Temescal Ridge in the Santa Monica Mountains.
