But the Forest Service says more resources would not have helped and that the fire spread so quickly because it jumped into inaccessible terrain. The report said bringing in aircraft without ground crews to help would have been ineffective.
"Additional resources during the evening of Aug. 26 and morning of Aug. 27 would not have improved the effectiveness of operations during that operational period and would have resulted in needless exposure of firefighters to the hazards of wild land fire," the report said.
Los Angeles County Supervisor Mike Antonovich disputed the findings, insisting the Forest Service miscalculated by not bringing in more aircraft in the early hours of the fire.
Had more aircraft been used, including at night, when the Forest Service is hesitant to fly, "the fire would not have spread," Antonovich said in a statement Friday.
AP contributed to this report.
