Twelve people died and thousands lost their homes in the devastating Palisades Fire. Now we know that it didn’t have to happen this way.

According to firefighter messages and internal sources, Los Angeles Fire Department crews raised red flags about visible smoke and lingering heat at the site of the Lachman fire in early January. But instead of listening, a battalion chief allegedly ordered them to leave before the area was fully extinguished. Just days later, that same fire reignited and tore through the Pacific Palisades.

Worse, senior officials at LAFD reportedly knew about these complaints months before the public did but left them out of the department’s official report. Families who lost everything were pleading for answers. Instead, they got silence.

This is more than a tragic oversight. It is a failure of leadership, transparency, and public trust.

We are calling on Mayor Karen Bass and the Los Angeles City Council to immediately appoint an independent investigative commission to examine what really happened and why this information was hidden. This commission must include fire safety experts, legal oversight, and community representation. It cannot be led by LAFD itself.

We also demand that the city publicly commit to compensating fire victims whose losses may have been preventable had officials taken earlier complaints seriously. When public agencies fail this badly, the truth should not depend on leaked text messages and whistleblowers.

The people of Los Angeles deserve honest answers, real accountability, and a fire department that tells the truth — especially when lives are on the line.

If you believe the victims of the Palisades Fire deserve justice and that city officials must be held accountable, add your name now.