Governor Gavin Newsom has spent the last six months pointing fingers at everyone except himself for the Palisades Fire disaster.
But now families who lost everything finally have the receipts.
And California wildfire victims hit Newsom with a bombshell lawsuit he can't wiggle his way out of.
State Records Expose Newsom's Lies About Fire Monitoring
For months, Gavin Newsom claimed California wasn't responsible for monitoring the Lachman Fire that smoldered for six days before exploding into the deadliest wildfire in Los Angeles history.
Now documents obtained by NewsNation blow that narrative apart.
Over 3,000 Pacific Palisades residents filed a lawsuit alleging the state of California failed to monitor embers from an arsonist's fire on New Year's Day — six days before those same embers rekindled into the Palisades Fire that killed 12 people and destroyed 7,000 structures.
"The state owned the land where a small 8-acre brush fire started January 1st," said attorney Roger Behle, representing the victims. "It was a bomb ready to go off. All it took was some wind and dry conditions and nobody there to monitor it."¹
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Newsom's office denied responsibility in a statement, claiming "the state didn't start this fire (that was an arsonist), and the state wasn't responsible for responding to or monitoring the fire."²
But state records tell a completely different story.
The Los Angeles Fire Department contacted state officials just after midnight on January 1.
A California State Parks representative was dispatched at 1:46 a.m. and arrived on scene by 4 a.m.³
If the state had no responsibility, why send a parks representative at all?
"The LAFD's records show not only did the LAFD notify the state just after midnight, the state sent a park representative at 1:46 in the morning on Jan. 1, and that state park representative arrived on scene at 4 a.m. on Jan. 1," Behle explained.⁴
California then claimed in court filings that fire victims can't prove the state knew about the Lachman Fire.
The state's own records destroy that defense.
State Official Prevented Firefighters From Doing Their Job
What happened next should terrify every Californian.
According to witnesses at the scene, a California State Parks representative showed up on January 2 with a map and started telling Los Angeles Fire Department crews what they could and couldn't do.
"We have reports of a state park representative coming up to the area of the Lachman burn scar with a map and directing firefighters [on] what they could touch and not touch," Behle stated. "[Where] they could bulldoze, not bulldoze. We know that occurred on Jan. 2."⁵
People who were present at the Lachman burn scar on January 2 watched a state parks representative — with a map in hand — tell firefighters what areas they were allowed to clear and what areas were off-limits.⁶
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Meanwhile, embers continued smoldering underground for four more days.
California's own Department of Parks and Recreation guidelines required the burned areas to remain closed "until appropriate department staff have inspected the area and rectified any public safety, property or resource protection issues."⁷
The park wasn't closed.
For six days, hikers and bikers traveled through areas where embers were still active underground.
"People were able to hike up through there while the embers in the hillside remained active," Behle said.⁸
Even 911 call logs show a resident called on January 3 to report seeing puffs of smoke in the hills.⁹
Nobody from the state responded.
On January 7, those underground embers reignited in strong winds and exploded into the most destructive wildfire in Los Angeles history.
Newsom Has a Long History of Wildfire Lies
This isn't the first time Newsom has been caught lying about California's wildfire response.
In January 2020, Newsom claimed his administration completed 35 priority wildfire prevention projects covering 90,000 acres.
An investigation by CapRadio and NPR found the actual number was 11,399 acres — less than 13% of what Newsom claimed.¹⁰
That same year, California's fuel reduction efforts dropped by half while Newsom slashed $150 million from the state's wildfire prevention budget.¹¹
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The 2020 fire season became the worst on record, with over 4 million acres burned.
Newsom regularly pointed to those 35 priority projects as proof his policies worked.
But the San Francisco Chronicle reviewed fire data and found "the fire breaks were often too small to be effective" and "when they did intercept a fire, the flames often pushed right through."¹²
Now Newsom is trying the same playbook with the Palisades Fire — blame climate change, deny state responsibility, and hope nobody notices the documents proving otherwise.
The Evidence Is Overwhelming
Behle's lawsuit includes state parks guidelines requiring closure of burned areas until inspected and deemed safe.
It includes LAFD records showing California was notified immediately and sent a representative to the scene by 4 a.m.
It includes witness statements about a state parks official preventing firefighters from properly clearing the burn area.
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It includes 911 call logs showing residents reported seeing smoke days before the fire exploded.
"People say, hey, look, we're still seeing smoke up there and yet nothing was done and it should have been done by the state," Behle stated. "The state should have been up there until they were certain that there was no risk of a rekindling."¹³
The state had every opportunity to prevent this disaster.
California parks officials were on scene from day one.
They had legal authority and responsibility to close the area and monitor for rekindling.
Instead, they interfered with firefighters trying to do their jobs, allowed hikers through an active burn area, and ignored multiple warnings about smoke still visible in the hills.
Six days later, 12 people died and 7,000 structures burned in a fire that caused $18-20 billion in damages.
And Gavin Newsom wants Californians to believe he bears no responsibility.
The families who lost everything aren't buying it anymore.
Neither should anyone else.
¹ NewsNation, "Lawsuit blames California, Los Angeles for 'rekindling' of Palisades Fire," July 11, 2025.
² Ibid.
³ NewsNation, "LAFD records show State Parks representative was on scene, directing, days before Palisades Fire ignited," November 18, 2025.
⁴ Ibid.
⁵ NewsNation, "Palisades Fire lawsuit says California failed to take required action ahead of blaze," November 14, 2025.
⁶ Ibid.
⁷ Ibid.
⁸ Ibid.
⁹ Breitbart News, "Report: CA Failed to Monitor Embers Days Before Devastating Palisades Fire," November 18, 2025.
¹⁰ ABC7 San Francisco, "Gov. Gavin Newsom overstated fire prevention work in CA's 'most vulnerable' communities, report says," June 24, 2021.
¹¹ NPR, "Gavin Newsom Misled Public About Wildfire Prevention Work, Report Says," June 25, 2021.
¹² CapRadio, "Newsom Misled The Public About Wildfire Prevention Efforts Ahead Of Worst Fire Season On Record," June 23, 2021.
¹³ Breitbart News, "Report: CA Failed to Monitor Embers Days Before Devastating Palisades Fire," November 18, 2025.
