Challenges, Changes Listed in LAFD's Palisades Fire After-Action Report

As recalling staff was a key issue, Los Angeles firefighters will now remain on duty when there's a red flag warning.

Oct. 9, 2025

5 min read

Sierra van der Brug

Los Angeles Daily News

(TNS)

The Los Angeles Fire Department’s extensive review of its Palisades fire response detailed challenges including staffing difficulties, resource shortages and constraints posed by the intense winds fanning the flames. Going forward, the department plans to have all personnel working during severe weather events like the one firefighters faced when the Palisades fire broke out.

The LAFD after-action report, released Wednesday afternoon, follows the Wednesday morning announcement of the arrest of 29-year-old Jonathan Rinderknecht, who is suspected of igniting a blaze that led to the destructive Palisades fire on Jan. 7.

The report spans 70 pages and examines the LAFD response to the fire, challenges faced by the department and changes that have been implemented in the months since. Such reports are typically internal documents, but the department is releasing the report given the size, impact and high level of interest surrounding the nearly 24,000-acre blaze that killed 12.

Key findings of the report are issues the LAFD faced with recalling off-duty staff to work, fiscal responsibility being a focus in decision making, fire engines unavailable due to mechanical issues, firefighters working 36 hours without rehabilitation and 48 hours without relief or rest, command posts becoming threatened by the fire and delayed notifications and jammed evacuation routes being listed among primary concerns.

The report was created after almost 100 interviews with officers and witnesses and the review of radio communications, photos and videos.

“The initial response dispatched to the Palisades incident lacked the appropriate resources for the weather conditions typically associated with Red Flag conditions that the Department would normally respond with,” the report found.

An initial decision was made to not hold over LAFD firefighters coming off their shifts for another shift.

“The fire conditions and initial ferocity of fire behavior overwhelmed the immediately available resources in the Palisades area. A recall of all members to fill every available seat was implemented after the start of the Palisades incident,” according to the report.

Staff recall policies have already been shifted. Now, “all staff will be immediately recalled and all available apparatus staffed, regardless of external factors or financial impact,” the department says.

“LAFD has already implemented many changes since January, including changed leadership, strengthened interagency coordination, upgraded communications technology, enhanced wildfire training and evacuation drills and improved pre-deployment protocols,” Mayor Karen Bass said in a statement.

While a document of considerations was created, “the decision to deploy was overwhelmingly based on perceived financial constraints rather than the factors outlined in the document,” according to a report, a factor that will not be put before preparedness in the future.

The department faced difficulties with communication, from firefighters not communicating the resources they needed to the media broadcasting a call for more firefighters resulting in overwhelmed phone lines. Going forward, the “mayor and key city leaders will be notified and updated throughout any emergency,” the LAFD said.

Secondary challenges faced during the fire included many chief officers within the department having limited to no experience with a blaze of this magnitude and complexity, residents staying behind and asking for assistance with their sometimes unthreatened homes taking resources away from more at-risk places, lack of cell service and wind gusts that challenged highly experienced pilots and eventually led to aircraft being grounded. In total, the report identified nearly 100 challenges posed during the fire response.

The report lays out timelines of the department’s response during the first 36 hours of the blaze.

The report also highlights successes of the department’s response, including multiple rescues, the evacuation of over 30,000 residents and coordinated responses with other fire and law enforcement agencies listed among the over 80 accomplishments by the department.

The LAFD also outlines lessons learned from the fire response and recommendations to take forward, including bolstering resources and ensuring fiscal responsibility does not overrule preparedness, creating a comprehensive recall system for pulling in off-duty firefighters, updating communication plans and establishing at least two routes of exit in neighborhoods designated as Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones.

The water supply in the Palisades, meant for residential and commercial use, “was never designed to support firefighting operations at this scale and intensity, while at the same time experiencing thousands of breaches in residential supply lines due to open pipes.”

As hydrants ran out of water, firefighters were able to continue fighting the fire with other sources of water. The department will do further training on alternative water sources as “some resources require additional training on acquiring water from alternative sources, rather than relying solely on the hydrant system,” according to the report.

Changes in the department have already been implemented as a result of the report. The department noted 19 leadership changes have taken place since January, most notably the appointment of Interim Fire Chief Ronnie Villanueva.