The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) has taken the lead in investigating the causes of multiple wildfires sweeping through the Los Angeles area.
Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell announced the news at a briefing Saturday morning. He said the ATF will serve as lead agency of a newly formed Los Angeles Regional Wildfire Investigative Task Force – a team of local, state and federal agencies that will “investigate the cause of these fires and to see if there’s any connection between them.””They have tremendous resources and expertise and can bring in resources from across the country to do their investigation,” McDonnell said. “So we’re very thankful for them and their resources.”Firefighters monitor the Palisades Fire as it burns through the area on January 10, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)The fires burned for a fifth day Saturday as more evacuations were ordered and the Palisades Fire spread to Brentwood. The Eaton fire was only 15% contained as of Saturday morning and had destroyed more than 7,000 homes, businesses, buildings and cars.Investigators are considering an array of possible ignition sources.The exact cause of each fire is still under investigation, but they were fueled by extreme drought conditions, combined with the supersized Santa Ana winds that whipped flames and embers at 100 mph – much faster than usual.
The ATF’s National Response Team (NRT) has investigated numerous wildfires and other fire incidents before the Los Angeles wildfires. A notable recent example is the Hawaii wildfire investigation in August 2023.
Working with the Maui Fire Department (MFD), the agency concluded the fire was caused by the re-energization of broken power lines, which were downed in high winds from a storm. Sparks from these damaged electrical lines ignited unmaintained vegetation near a utility pole on Lahainaluna Road, and the fire spread quickly because of the winds.
ATF personnel assisted MFD with data collection, photo and video analysis, and witness interviews during the weeks following the fires. ATF then consolidated and analyzed that information as the basis for its independent findings and conclusions, as well as its electrical examination, which are appended to MFD’s report.ATF shared all data and analyses with MFD, with the exception of electrical data, which the utility company provided only to ATF pursuant to a nondisclosure and confidentiality agreement.Because MFD was not granted access to the electrical data, it relied on ATF’s findings based on those materials.
How has the recovery been going? As of August, one year after the devastating fires, progress appears to be slow.
Crews have cleared about 95% of the 2,200 structures leveled in Lahaina, but only 47 building permits have been approved, according to Maui County. Over 3,900 properties were destroyed by the fires overall, officials said.Glenn and Lehua I’l lost their home of 23 years. They described the mix of emotions the last year has brought.”Having so much courage … trying to be focused. We’ve got some good days, some bad days,” Lehua I’l said.Insurance and a federal loan will help them cover the cost to rebuild, but with a construction shortage, it’s been difficult to even get the blueprints required for a permit. They said they have no idea when they will break ground on their new home.
Another report indicates that only four homes have been rebuilt, with 207 property owners receiving building permits for new houses and 556 building permit applications pending.
If this is the trajectory for the communities of Los Angeles, then recovery is going to be very slow and exceedingly painful.
The good news is that Lahaina’s famous banyan tree is showing signs of regrowth and looks to have survived the fires.
Los Angeles’ green areas may take longer to recover, especially as the fires are still burning.
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