Investigators comb through ashes of Palisades Fire to find its cause

Investigators are piecing together the cause of the wildfire that claimed 11 lives, destroyed thousands of structures, and may be linked to a smaller blaze just days earlier.

LOS ANGELES — As the charred hills of Pacific Palisades continue to smolder and rainstorms approach, investigators are racing to uncover the origins of the devastating Jan. 7 fire that killed 11 people and destroyed more than 6,800 structures.

Covering up to 10 miles of terrain each day, they have amassed more than 235 leads in their search for answers, with attention turning to a suspicious fire that started days earlier in the same area.

The investigation has zeroed in on a scorched ridgeline above an exclusive neighborhood known as the Highlands, a community perched in the mountains overlooking the Pacific Ocean. This area is near the site of a smaller blaze that the Los Angeles Fire Department said was contained in the early hours of Jan. 1, just six days before the catastrophic Jan. 7 fire erupted.

Earlier this week, yellow caution tape blocked off access to a trailhead linking the Highlands to a popular hiking area in Topanga State Park. Many houses surrounding the trail were untouched by the inferno. But just blocks away, the scorched remains of once grand homes and blackened trees dotted the landscape.

Some 75 personnel from local, state and federal agencies have fanned out around the state park, known for its stunning views of the ocean and popular landmarks like the eponymously named Skull Rock boulder and little Buddha sculpture.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/pacific-palisades-wildfire-investigation-rcna188488

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