Federal and local officials are set to announce a “significant development” Wednesday morning in the investigation into January’s Palisades Fire, believed to be the most costly wildfire in state history.
Several media outlets, including the Los Angeles Times, are reporting that an arrest has been made.
Acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli, Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Special Agent in Charge Kenny Cooper will make the announcement during a 9 a.m. news conference in Los Angeles.
The cause of the deadly Palisades Fire, which erupted Jan. 7 and destroyed more than 6,800 structures, has not been definitively determined. Investigations have focused on the possible rekindling of a previous fire that ignited on Jan. 1 in the same general area, which was believed to have been extinguished.
Other possibilities suggest it was a new accidental or deliberate human-caused fire or was sparked by faulty powerlines; however, no confirmed reports have linked energized power lines to the start of the fire.
The Palisades Fire left 12 people dead and burned nearly 24,000 acres after erupting during a significant Santa Ana wind event. At the same time, the Eaton Fire leveled more than 9,400 structures in Altadena and Pasadena.
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