A New Year's Eve fire, reportedly caused by fireworks, is believed to have started the Palisades fire in the Los Angeles area, according to a report on Sunday.
An investigation into "photos, videos, satellite imagery and radio communications" by the Washington Post revealed that "new evidence" showed that "the Palisades Fire started in the area where firefighters had spent hours using helicopters to knock down a blaze six days earlier." The earlier fire is reportedly believed to have been caused by fireworks.
WATCH -- Smoke from the Palisades Fire Seen from Santa Monica:
The Palisades fire reportedly "started in the vicinity of the old fire," leading to the possibility that the New Year's Eve fire "was reignited," according to the outlet:
Investigators from state and federal agencies descended on this area in recent days, interviewing residents and looking for evidence -- including around the burn scare of the New Year's Eve fire -- of what sparked the blaze.
The Post's analysis showed that the new fire started in the vicinity of the old fire, raising the possibility that the New Year's Eve fire was reignited, which can occur in windy conditions, experts said.
The Washington Post reported that a resident who had been "cleaning ash out of his home" explained to the outlet "and an ATF officer" that the wildfires in the Los Angeles area were "started by idiots" on New Year's Eve, noting that people have "to know better."
"You got to know better," the man told the outlet. "It's dry. There's no precipitation. I don't know if you've ever been camping, but when you go camping and put a fire out, that doesn't mean that it's not hot below. Then the Santa Anas came on Monday, and that's what started, that's what reignited the fire."
According to CalFire, there are currently three active fires. The Palisades fire, which has affected 23,713 acres, is 11 percent contained, while the Eaton fire, which has affected 14,117 acres, is 27 percent contained. The Hurst fire, which has affected 799 acres, is 89 percent contained.