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Fireworks Ember Sparks Pacific Palisades Blaze, 80% Destroyed

5/10/2026

Center

Ember Ignites

An ember from a week-old fireworks scar ignited a fire that engulfed Pacific Palisades, destroying 80% of its structures.
A vegetation fire erupted in Temescal Canyon, Pacific Palisades, and after three days burned into the hills, where it smolders.
Officials blamed 100-mph winds, which drove flames five football fields per minute and snarled traffic.
City leaders face criticism for fast-tracking reconstruction without new building standards, leaving replacement homes unbuilt.

Right

Trump Accuses

Mayor Karen Bass traveled to Ghana for an official inauguration as the Pacific Palisades fire began.
A smoldering ember ignited a vegetation fire that destroyed roughly 80% of the Pacific Palisades structures.
Governor Gavin Newsom and Mayor Bass arrived Jan. 8, 2025, posing amid the official blaze.
President Donald Trump publicly accused officials of mishandling the blaze and called for Newsom’s resignation.

History

Historical Context

The Park Fire ignited on July 24, 2024 in Chico’s Bidwell Park, spreading rapidly across Butte and Tehama counties amid California’s hottest July on record. Its magnitude echoes earlier Butte County blazes, notably the 2018 Camp Fire; the Park Fire itself ranks as the state’s fourth-largest wildfire, prompting sweeping utility reforms. Both disasters have spurred stricter fire-resistant building codes in California.

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Ember Ignites

An ember from a week-old fireworks scar ignited a fire that engulfed Pacific Palisades, destroying 80% of its structures.
A vegetation fire erupted in Temescal Canyon, Pacific Palisades, and after three days burned into the hills, where it smolders.
Officials blamed 100-mph winds, which drove flames five football fields per minute and snarled traffic.
City leaders face criticism for fast-tracking reconstruction without new building standards, leaving replacement homes unbuilt.

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