LAFD under scrutiny for actions before Palisades fire

ment protocols, upgrading technology and expanding training for all staff.

- Times staff writer David Zahniser contributed to this report.

Her handling of the blaze and its aftermath is expected to be a significant issue in next year’s mayoral race, with her main opponent, Austin Beutner, calling on her to provide a thorough accounting of what happened through an independent commission comprising “respected members of our city.”

“Mayor Bass is asking the Fire Department to investigate itself. That won't get us to the truth we need,” he said in a prepared statement. “The Commission should look into the actions of the Fire Department, the Department of Water and Power, other relevant departments and City Hall officials. Provide the commission with the budget and authority to ask tough questions, gather the facts and make recommendations.”

The Times reported last week that crews mopping up the Jan. 1 Lachman fire warned a battalion chief that the ground was still smoldering and rocks remained hot to the touch, according to text exchanges reviewed by The Times. But firefighters were ordered to pack up and leave the scene anyway.

Federal investigators say the Lachman fire was deliberately set and had burned underground in a canyon root system until the winds rekindled it on Jan. 7.