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Unanswered questions about L.A.-area firestorms
More than three months after the L.A.-area firestorms, many essential questions remain unanswered. Times reporters have been digging into them, including filing numerous public records requests. In some cases, officials have declined to provide the documents, citing ongoing investigations. Times reporters Terry Castleman, Rebecca Ellis, Grace Toohey, Matt Hamilton, Paige St. John, David Zahniser, Dakota Smith, Julia Wick, Paul Pringle, Alene Tchekmedyian and Richard Winton have been searching for answers. Here is a rundown of what we want to know:
Altadena Evacuations
Gerald Pierre is overcome with emotion after seeing the devastation of the Eaton fire on Lake Avenue in Altadena. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
It took nearly eight hours after the start of the Eaton fire for officials to issue evacuation orders for residents of western Altadena. By then, fire was already burning into the area. Seventeen people who died lived in this area west of Lake Avenue.
- How were the decisions made on when to issue evacuation orders?
- What caused the delay in sending those evacuation orders?
- Who was responsible for ensuring the orders were sent?
Empty Reservoir
The Santa Ynez Reservoir in Pacific Palisades was empty during the Palisades fire. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)
The 117-million-gallon Santa Ynez Reservoir was empty, awaiting a repair to its cover, when the Palisades fire hit.
- The tear was discovered in January 2024. Why did it take so long to begin repairs?
- What difference would a full reservoir have made for firefighters dealing with low water pressure in fire hydrants?
Bass out of town
Mayor Karen Bass was out of the country on a diplomatic trip to Ghana when the Palisades fire broke out.
- Bass has released some but not all of the text messages she sent and received while traveling. Who did she communicate with, and how involved was she in key decisions during the emergency?
LAFD deployment in Pacific Palisades
Firefighters returned to the Community United Methodist Church of Pacific Palisades on Jan. 12 to extinguish remaining hot spots. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)
A Times investigation found that the Los Angeles Fire Department could have pre-deployed more engines and firefighters the morning of Jan. 7 amid dire wind forecasts. LAFD leaders say those resources either weren't available or were needed elsewhere.
- What resources, including personnel and engines, were available the morning of Jan. 7?
- Who approved the deployment plan that day?
Palisades fire's cause
The cause of the Palisades fire is still under investigation, and city officials decline to release many details about it.
- Was the Jan. 7 fire a "restart" of a Jan. 1 fire in the same general location?
- How did the LAFD fight that Jan. 1 fire and could officials have done more to ensure it was completely out? Were they sure it was out?
Today's top stories
Emma Liu poses for pictures under a dramatic sky at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Coachella's first weekend has come and gone
At a packed L.A. rally, Bernie Sanders says the U.S. is facing 'extraordinary danger'
- A rally with Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez drew 36,000 people to downtown Los Angeles.
- Trump and his allies are watching the size of the rallies, Sanders said, and "you are scaring the hell out of them."
- With the exception of Los Angeles and Denver, Sanders' "Fighting Oligarchy" tour has mostly stopped in areas represented by Republican members of Congress who Democrats hope to oust in the 2026 election.
California's demographic earthquake: Asian immigrants rise, Latinos decline in 'big shift'
- For nearly two decades, more Asians have immigrated to California than Latin Americans.
- Changing migration patterns are hitting regions in different ways: In Silicon Valley, 42% of Santa Clara County residents are now immigrants, with most coming from China and India.
- By contrast, Los Angeles County's population is about one-third immigrant, most still coming from Latin America.
What else is going on
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This morning's must reads
Ivan Vazquez, owner of Madre Oaxacan Restaurant and Mezcaleria, says it is getting very scary to own a restaurant right now. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
L.A. was forged by global commerce. Can the metropolis we know survive the Trump trade wars? From the multinational residents of million-dollar homes in the suburbs to cramped apartments in the dense urban core, to the tens of thousands of warehouse owners, retailers and food merchants who rely on imports, people across the region expressed profound uncertainty over what a trade war — or even the threat of one — could do to Los Angeles' economy.
Other must reads
How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to essentialcalifornia@latimes.com.
For your downtime
Mark Mothersbaugh, the frontman of the band Devo, at his gallery show at MutMuz. (Carlin Stiehl / For The Times)
Going out
Staying in
A question for you: What is the best concert or music festival you experienced in California?
Jon Rhodes writes: "Gang of 4 (now defunct) at Wolfgang's (now gone) in N. Beach [San Francisco, Calif.] '83. They blew the doors off the small club. I think they had to get some of the crowd off the walls with a spatula after the show."
Email us at essentialcalifornia@latimes.com, and your response might appear in the newsletter this week.
And finally ... your photo of the day
Show us your favorite place in California! Send us photos you have taken of spots in California that are special — natural or human-made — and tell us why they're important to you.
Music fans at Do Lab enjoy the first day of the 2025 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Today's great photo is from Times photographer Allen J. Schaben at Coachella 2025.
Have a great day, from the Essential California team
Ryan Fonseca, reporter
Andrew Campa, Sunday reporter
Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor
Hunter Clauss, multiplatform editor
Christian Orozco, assistant editor
Karim Doumar, head of newsletters
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