The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) is investigating the cause of the Palisades fire, the first of several blazes to devastate the Los Angeles area over the past week.
Why It Matters
The fires in Southern California have killed at least 24 people while burning tens of thousands of acres, destroying over 12,000 structures in the Los Angeles area and forcing hundreds of thousands of residents to evacuate.
While the cause of the Palisades fire and most of the other fires are unknown, the ATF says that it is the only federal agency that investigates fires and potential arson as part of its core mission.
What To Know
ATF said in a press release on Monday that its National Response Team (NRT) was being “deployed to investigate the Pacific Palisades fire,” announcing that 15 new “ATF investigators from around the country arrived in Los Angeles over the weekend” and were “reinforcing ATF-certified fire investigators (CFIs) already working alongside local, state, and federal agencies.”
“In addition to CFIs, the team is comprised of special agents, chemists, engineers, and investigative research specialists,” the release continues. “Their mission will be to conduct an origin and cause examination of the Pacific Palisades fire… The team’s swift arrival and unparalleled expertise highlight ATF’s commitment to supporting communities affected by this tragedy.”…