Federal officials will announce a “significant development” Wednesday in their investigation into January’s Palisades Fire.
Several media outlets are reporting that an arrest was made in connection with the fire, but officials have not confirmed that information.
Acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli, Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Special Agent in Charge Kenny Cooper will make the announcement during a 9 a.m. news conference in Los Angeles.
The cause of the deadly and destructive Palisades Fire, which erupted Jan. 7, has not been definitively determined.
Investigations have focused on the possible rekindling of a previous fire that ignited on Jan. 1 in the same general area, which was believed to have been extinguished.
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A home reduced to stone and ashes during the aftermath of the Palisades Fire in Palisades, California, US, on Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. Firefighters are making some progress on controlling several blazes that have scorched Los Angeles, as the toll of devastation continued to rise with entire neighborhoods reduced to ash. Photographer: Michael Nigro/Bloomberg via Getty Images -
A man rides a bike while flames from the Palisades Fire burn a building on Sunset Boulevard amid a powerful windstorm on Jan. 8, 2025 in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. Apu Gomes/Getty Images) -
Homes along Pacific Coast Highway are left burned to the ground in the aftermath of the Palisades Fire Monday, Jan. 13, 2025 in Malibu, Calif. (AP Photo/John Locher) -
FILE – Firefighters battle the Palisades Fire as it burns multiple structures in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope, File) -
An aerial view of a beachside homes destroyed in the Palisades Fire along Pacific Coast Highway on January 16, 2025 in Malibu, California. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images) -
A person walks along a beach past homes destroyed by the Palisades Fire along the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, Calif., Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) -
FILE – Nancy Belanger pours water on a neighbor’s fire-ravaged property in the aftermath of the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong,File) -
FILE – A firefighter battles the Palisades Fire around a burned structure in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Jan. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent, File) -
Firefighters watch as water is dropped on the Palisades Fire in Mandeville Canyon Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) -
A firefighter battles the Palisades Fire in Mandeville Canyon on Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) -
A firefighter sets up a hose while fighting the Palisades Fire in Mandeville Canyon on Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer) -
FILE – A person tries to hose down embers from the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent, File) -
A home stands above debris from the Palisades Fire in Malibu, Calif., Jan. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) -
Firefighters watch water drops on the Palisades Fire in Mandeville Canyon Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer) -
A firefighter battles the Palisades Fire in Mandeville Canyon Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) -
The Palisades Fire ravages a neighborhood amid high winds in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes) -
A firefighter battles the Palisades Fire as it burns a structure in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope) -
From left: Destroyed living room inside Will Rogers’ ranch house. / The fire aftermath of the historic Topanga Ranch Motel. Photos taken on Jan. 8, 2025, by California State Parks.
Other possibilities suggest it was a new accidental or deliberate human-caused fire or was sparked by faulty powerlines; however, no confirmed reports have linked energized power lines to the start of the fire.
The Palisades Fire left 12 people dead and burned nearly 24,000 acres after erupting during a significant Santa Ana wind event.