LOS ANGELES (KTLA) – A beloved hiking spot north of Sunset Boulevard in Pacific Palisades along the Temescal Ridge trail is reportedly a point of interest for investigators looking into the origins of the costliest wildfire in the history of Los Angeles.
The area in question, near Via Las Palmas and Via La Costa in the Palisades-Highland community, is less than a mile from Piedra Morada, where the fire was reported on Jan. 7 at around 10:30 a.m.
The trail, which offers expansive views of the Pacific Ocean, is home to Skull Rock Trailhead, named for a skeletal-shaped rock along the route.
Aerial footage of the area captured by NewsNation affiliate KTLA’s Sky5 on Monday showed more than a dozen investigators riding and walking the area, presumably looking for an ignition point for the Palisades Fire.
One area along the route, around several rock formations and near a visible burn scar, was cordoned off with yellow crime scene tape, footage showed.
While the cause of the fire and its starting point remain under investigation, the general area around Skull Rock was the site of a small New Year’s Eve brush fire, reportedly ignited by fireworks, that burned for several hours before being extinguished by a water-dropping helicopter, the Los Angeles Times reported. (A nearby resident also told The New York Times that he observed a haze over that area — though no flames — on Jan. 7, but doubted that any brush from the New Year’s Eve fire could still be smoldering.)
Because the location is frequented by the public, sources familiar with the investigation told the L.A. Times it’s possible the Palisades Fire started in the same spot, and added that “it appears to have human origins,” though the investigation is in its early stages.
Investigators are likely looking into whether the Palisades Fire could have been a rekindling of the alleged fireworks-related fire on New Year’s Eve as well as scorched power-line poles in the area.
“There’s been no definitive determination that it is arson at this point, but we are looking at every angle,” LAPD Asst. Chief Dominic Choi said, as reported by the L.A. Times.
As of Cal Fire’s latest update at 5:30 p.m., the Palisades Fire, which has claimed the lives of eight people and destroyed at least 10,000 structures, is 23,713 acres and 14% contained.
More information about mandatory and voluntary evacuations can be found can be found on L.A. County’s emergency response website.
