LAFD subpoenaed in federal probe over Lachman, Palisades fires
Grand jury subpoenas LAFD over Palisades Fire
The Los Angeles Fire Department has been served federal grand jury subpoena over the department's Palisades Fire response.
LOS ANGELES - A federal grand jury has subpoenaed the Los Angeles Fire Department over their handling of the Lachman and Palisades fires.
FOX 11 obtained an internal memo stating that the US Department of Justice is seeking to obtain text messages, records, and other forms of communication related to how the fire department handled the Lachman Fire, which days later ignited and became the Palisades Fire.
This comes just a few weeks after FOX 11's Gina Silva was first to report that firefighters within the department said the Palisades Fire could have been prevented if LAFD leadership had followed protocol.
The memo read, "The Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) received a Federal Grand Jury Subpoena issued by the United States Department of Justice, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, in connection with an ongoing criminal investigation being conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) regarding the January 2025 Pacific Palisades ('Lachman') Fire. This notice informs all Department members of the subpoena and provides instructions for compliance. The subpoena compels the Department to produce certain records, communications, and data under federal authority. The subpoena seeks any and all communications, including text messages, related to reports of fire, smoke, or hotspots received between 2200 hours on December 31, 2024, and 1000 hours on January 7, 2025, for the area between the Temescal Ridge Trail and the Leacock Trailhead."
RELATED: Whistleblower says Palisades Fire could have been prevented if LAFD leadership followed protocol
According to court documents, law enforcement officials determined that the Palisades Fire was a "holdover" fire -- a continuation of the Lachman Fire that began early in the morning on New Year's Day 2025. Although firefighters quickly suppressed the Lachman Fire, the fire continued to smolder and burn underground within the root structure of dense vegetation.
On Jan. 7, hurricane-force Santa Ana winds caused the underground fire to surface and spread above ground in what became known as the Palisades Fire. The fire burned 23,448 acres and destroyed much of the exclusive Pacific Palisades community, destroying about 6,800 structures and killing 12 people.
Trial date set for arson suspect
Meanwhile, an April 21 trial date has been set for Jonathan Rinderknecht, the 29-year-old former Uber driver accused of setting the Lachman Fire.
Rinderknecht pleaded not guilty last month to federal charges of destruction of property by means of fire, arson affecting property used in interstate commerce, and timber set afire. He remains in federal custody, but is expected to argue for pretrial release at a Nov. 18 hearing in downtown Los Angeles.
Palisades Fire suspect trial date set
Palisades Fire suspect Jonathan Rinderknecht will tentatively appear in court on April 2026.
If convicted as charged, he faces up to 45 years behind bars, prosecutors said.
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The Source: Information for this story came from an internal memo issued by the Los Angeles Fire Department. Information also came from previous FOX 11 reports and City News Service.