LA Fire Department responds to Henry Winkler's shock claim about cause of blazes

The LA Fire Department has responded after Henry Winkler made a shock claim about the cause of the California blazes.

Amid the destruction sparked by the Pacific Palisades fire, the Happy Days icon, 79, took to X with an an incendiary message blaming foul play.

He wrote: 'THERE IS an ARSONIST here in LA . May you be beaten you unrecognizable !!! The pain you have caused !!!'

His claims swiftly went viral with fans pledging their support to him and others lambasting him for spreading panic.

An LA Fire Department official has responded to the claim via TMZ, saying 'there's no way to know at this moment exactly where and how the series of fires started, but an investigation is underway.'

The LA Fire team investigating each fire is the arson squad, but that is matter of course for every major fire, and does not confirm arson, the official said. 

Fans quickly commented on Winkler's post with one writing: 'I’ve been watching all day and night. How is it possible for the fires to keep jumping for miles and miles. How did the Hollywood Hills fire start? I’m starting to wonder if it is arsonists or terrorists or both.

Others wrote: 'You are right in a way.' and 'My opinion of you just sank. What good does physically harming them do? it would be upsetting to do and upsetting to watch. But locking them up would do some good.

'Embers blown on wind can travel 2 miles or more and set fires off. While it is possible, it is doubtful that they are all caused by arson - especially when no rain since March 2024 and 100mph winds are added in.

'Both starting the fires and from within the California government. They didn’t light the match. However, they did set the tone of government neglect that got us to this point.

'Arsonist or terror attack - there's no way fire's just combust from nothing when winds are in a different direction and/or they're popping up that far apart.'

Firefighters are battling a series of major blazes that have killed at least five people, destroyed communities and forced thousands to flee.

More than 45 square miles and 1,300 structures have been destroyed in the LA area as of Thursday since five wildfires erupted across the region, causing an estimated $48billion in damage.

Other stars who have lost their homes include Billy Crystal, Eugene Levy, John Goodman and Paris Hilton.

The devastating fires, which have killed at least five and forced 130,000 people to evacuate, have also disrupted scheduled events such as the Critics Choice Awards and an upcoming NHL game between the LA Kings and Calgary Flames.

Hollywood Boulevard has been evacuated with 100,000 people told to flee with six wildfires raging as the apocalyptic skies of Los Angeles continue to fill with smoke.

Two new blazes broke out overnight in the Hollywood Hills and Studio City - forcing first responders to redeploy their already-scarce resources to the burnt landscape.

The National Guard has been deployed and could send in military personnel to assist, amid revelations that heroic firefighters are 'triaging' homes and neighborhoods.

The LA Fire Department issued an evacuation order for people in an area within Hollywood Boulevard to the south, Mulholland Drive to the north, the 101 Freeway to the east and Laurel Canyon Boulevard to the west - all iconic addresses in showbiz.

The latest fires mean huge swathes of iconic southern California real estate from Malibu to Santa Monica, and from Pacific Palisades to Runyon Canyon, are ablaze - impacting millions caught off guard by the unprecedented spread and carnage.

At least five people have lost their lives in the disaster so far - with 2,000 structures obliterated and thousands of people left with nothing but ash across the city.

More than 130,000 people are under evacuation orders while Mandy Moore, Cary Elwes and Paris Hilton are among the stars who said they had lost homes. Billy Crystal and his wife Janice lost their home of 45 years in the Palisades Fire.