A firefighter picking up hoses on Jan. 2 found crackling, red-hot coals in the dirt and warned colleagues that a more thorough mop-up was needed. Also that morning, a captain cautioned his chief that it was too soon to pick up the hoses. “We both walked the whole area,” Garcia said. Engineer Edward Rincon, who had been on Engine 23 retrieving hoses the day before, pulled up to the same cul-de-sac. He also said he did not suggest to his captain, Cesar Garcia, that they walk the whole perimeter.

Source: Los Angeles Times March 12, 2026 11:18 UTC