Fire Department Responds to Henry Winkler's Claim About Cause of LA Fires
The Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) is fact-checking a statement made by Henry Winkler.
After the Happy Days alum made a bold declaration regarding the cause of the wildfires burning in Southern California, the LAFD issued a statement to let the public know that no such determination has been made at this time.
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Late on Wednesday, Jan. 8, Winkler took to X (formerly Twitter) to claim, "THERE IS an ARSONIST here in LA."
"May you be beaten you unrecognizable !!! The pain you have caused !!!" added Winkler, 79, who owns a home in the upscale Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles.
THERE IS an ARSONIST here in LA . May you be beaten you unrecognizable !!! The pain you have caused !!!
— Henry Winkler (@hwinkler4real) January 9, 2025
However, in a statement shared with TMZ, the LAFD said, "There's no way to know at this moment exactly where and how the series of fires started, but an investigation is underway."
The publication also claimed to be informed by the LAFD that the arson squad is investigating each fire in the area, which is typical procedure for "every major fire" and does not necessarily mean arson is behind this catastrophic event.
California fire chief David Acuna also told BBC there was not "any conclusive evidence" that the fires were deliberately lit.
It's worth noting that the Los Angeles Police Department did announce on Thursday, Jan. 9, that a possible arson suspect in Woodland Hills was taken into custody—though they were ultimately not arrested for arson or possible arson.
The situation went down close to the time that the Kenneth Fire broke out on Thursday, however, LAPD Divisional Chief Dominic Choi announced on Friday morning that after investigation, the suspect would only be arrested on charges related to violating their probation terms.
The suspect was interviewed and the investigation determined there was not enough probable cause to arrest for arson or possible arson. He was arrested on a felony probation violation.
— LAPD PIO (@LAPDPIO) January 10, 2025
“After the interview and additional investigative steps, looking at some additional evidence that was present, they determined that there was not enough probable cause to arrest this person on arson or suspicion of arson," Choi said, per KTLA.
However, the cause of the Kenneth fire "remains under investigation."
Investigators have still been unable to determine an official cause for the rest of the fires, including the two most destructive in California history, the Palisades Fire and the Eaton Fire.
As of 9:03 a.m. local time on Friday, the Palisades Fire burned more than 20,400 acres, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire). The nearby Eaton Fire is reported to have burned more than 13,950 acres as of 8:39 a.m. local time on Friday.
Both fires, which authorities said started on Tuesday, Jan. 7, were not even 10 percent contained by Friday morning and at least 10 people have died due to the devastating conditions.
Next: Fox News Host Claps Back at Conservatives' Controversial Claims About Cause of California Fires
