Palisades Fire May Have Reignited from New Year’s Day Blaze, Residents Claim

PACIFIC PALISADES, Calif. — Investigators are probing whether the deadly Palisades Fire, which erupted on Jan. 7, 2025, may have been a re-ignition of a smaller brush fire that occurred on New Year’s Day. The blaze has destroyed over 2,000 structures and burned more than 23,000 acres, according to CalFire.

Residents in the Palisades Highlands area believe the Jan. 1 fire, which burned eight acres but caused no structural damage, was not fully extinguished. Jeremy Wineberg, a local resident whose home was destroyed in the Palisades Fire, claims the earlier fire was neglected. “This was negligence on monitoring that fire Jan. 1 and making sure it was completely burned out to make sure that this didn’t happen again,” Wineberg said.

Wineberg, who lives south of the Skull Rock Trailhead, noted that the smoke from both fires appeared in the same location. “Is there a connection? One hundred percent there’s a connection,” he said. “Standing in the exact same x mark, looking in the same direction, you’ll see the same cloud of smoke in the exact same spot.”

Eric Robertson, another resident, was among the first to call 911 on Jan. 7 after spotting flames while walking with his wife. He recalled hearing fireworks in the area on New Year’s Day, which some believe may have sparked the initial fire. “The winds were strong enough to uncover six inches of dirt, certainly, if the previous firefighters had shoveled and if embers were buried, maybe,” Robertson said.

Investigators from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are focusing on a hillside above the Highlands neighborhood to determine the origin and cause of the Palisades Fire. Meanwhile, Wineberg shared surveillance footage with Eyewitness News showing alarms blaring as flames consumed his home, the only one lost on his block.

The New Year’s Day fire, which burned eight acres, was initially dismissed as a minor incident. However, residents now question whether proper precautions were taken to prevent its resurgence. As the investigation continues, the community remains on edge, grappling with the devastation and seeking answers.