Investigators believe the disaster may have been sparked by a fire that reignited after being previously extinguished.

Twenty-four deaths from the two major fires, the Palisades and Eaton, have been confirmed, according to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's Office: Eight from the Palisades fire and 16 from the Eaton fire. Authorities warn the death toll could continue to rise as more people remain missing.

The fires began on January 7, and new evidence, obtained by the Washington Post, suggests they may be linked to a smaller fire that broke out on New Year's Eve.

Satellite imagery and analysis by the Washington Post confirm that the Palisades fire broke out in the exact spot where firefighters extinguished a blaze on New Year's Day believed to have started from fireworks.

According to the archived radio broadcast, a firefighter commented: "The fire started very close to the fire on New Year's Eve. It seems to have spread quickly."

This small fire, dubbed the "Lachman Fire," spread over an area of ​​8 acres (about 32,000 m2) and was controlled at 4:46 a.m. on January 1, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD).

However, recent satellite analysis shows that smoke from the Palisades Fire on January 9 coincides with the location of the Lachman Fire, leading to the hypothesis that the New Year's Eve fire flared up again.

"With the strong winds, it's possible that a smoldering fire could have reignited and caused a larger fire," said Professor Michael Gollner, an expert in mechanical and fire engineering at the University of California, Berkeley.

In addition, many residents in the affected area expressed dissatisfaction with the slow response of firefighters during the second outbreak of fire.

This view is also confirmed by radio recordings. With high winds forecast to return later this week, authorities are working to contain the situation while continuing to investigate the exact cause of the disaster.

Ngoc Anh (according to Tyla, WP)