LIVE THREAD>>> California Wild Fires

[mystery-ak]

January 8, 2025 6:25pm EST
Los Angeles mayor slashed fire budget last year, prioritized homeless population
LA Mayor Karen Bass slashed fire department spending last year

By Breck Dumas FOXBusiness

Los Angeles' budget is in the spotlight as multiple wildfires rage around the city amid revelations that Mayor Karen Bass slashed the fire department's budget last year while prioritizing spending on the city's homeless population.

For the 2023-2024 fiscal year, Los Angeles budgeted $837 million for the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD), which was roughly 65% the size of the homeless budget of $1.3 billion.

An analysis by LA's city comptroller last year found that roughly half the budget for homelessness went unspent.

From the 2023-2024 to the 2024-2025 budgets, the LAFD’s budget was reduced by over $17 million from $837,191,237 to $819,637,423.

more
https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/los-angeles-mayor-slashed-fire-budget-prioritized-homeless

[mystery-ak]

 Published January 8, 2025 12:01pm EST
California wildfires: What to take when evacuating
More than 30K residents are under evacuation orders

By Daniella Genovese FOXBusiness


In the event of a wildfire, the Red Cross implores residents to have an evacuation plan that includes multiple escape routes from their home and community. They also need to be equipped with a slew of emergency items, including masks and baby food, for their "go-kit."

The Red Cross told FOX Business that currently hundreds of residents are already seeking safe refuge at evacuation centers across the Los Angeles County area, as at least four fires burn in the area.

More than 30,000 residents are under evacuation orders.

Once they receive an official evacuation order, they need to "heed the orders of local authorities and follow instructions," according to the Red Cross. However, even if residents do not receive an order, they should leave if they feel threatened or unsafe, according to the organization.

The Red Cross said the most up-to-date listing of shelters can be found on the free Red Cross Emergency App or by calling 1-800-Red-Cross.

The Red Cross said that it is important to plan an evacuation route ahead of time because you may have to leave at a moment's notice.

What you need to bring in a "go-kit," according to the Red Cross:

A "go-kit" should be three days of supplies that you can easily carry with you, while a stay-at-home kit should be two weeks of supplies.

    The emergency kit should be in the car. If there is time, residents should replenish items in short supply, especially medications or medical supplies
    A 1-month supply of medication in a child-proof container
    A mask and hand sanitizer
    Special items for children, like food, formula, diapers, extra clothing and toys
    Items for pets, including a leash, pet medications and pet food
    Personal hygiene items, pillows, blankets, towels, change of clothing or other items you may want to have at a shelter
    Cell phone charger or external battery packs.

more
https://www.foxbusiness.com/lifestyle/california-wildfires-what-you-should-take-when-evacuating

[The_Reader_David]

Yup, the woke Californians, who will blather on with land acknowledgements and praising indigenous knowledge, don't want the indigenous knowledge about how to manage forests and avoid wildfires.

Actually, it's surprising how few places have embrace controlled burns.  We do them for prairie management here in Kansas, but just to the south, in Oklahoma, they don't and are always having wildfires.

[mystery-ak]

https://twitter.com/_PrinceCarlton_/status/1877141206490128796

[mystery-ak]

https://twitter.com/nicksortor/status/1877166318526279962

[mystery-ak]

https://twitter.com/nicksortor/status/1877170879949357175

[Hoodat]

LA County 2024 Election Results:

D
KAMALA D. HARRIS 64.83%
2,417,109

R
DONALD J. TRUMP 31.91%
1,189,862

LA County 2018 Election Results

GAVIN NEWSOM (D) - 71.9%
2,114,699

JOHN COX (R) - 28.1%
826,402

[Lando Lincoln]

I don’t know if there is anything to say that hasn’t already been said. This is just horrifying.

[Hoodat]

https://twitter.com/SkyNews/status/1877115173443400065

[ChemEngrMBA]

Notice to all climate change fanatics:

1.  Wind does NOT cause brush fires. 

2.  It is winter.  Southern California is NOT hot by any means.  It's cold at night and cool during the day.

3. Winter weather does NOT cause brush fires.  People cause them.

4.  They spread because brush has not been cleared for decades due to the insane demands of climate change fanatics.

This was the case with devastating fires in Arizona a few years ago, and the fanatics haven't backed off, haven't learned anything.

[Hoodat]

LA Fire Dept Budget:

$670K for Equity and Inclusion Staffing
$420L for Diversity in Recruitment


https://ens.lacity.org/lafd/lafdreportarchv/lafdlafdreport1864164833_09062022.pdf

[Lando Lincoln]

Natural disasters are devastating and tragic. But, when policy and political malfeasance contributes to the heartbreak, it is particularly so.

[Wingnut]

You reap what you sow Cali.  This might be a wake-up call.   Or not.  Probably not.  But o'well

[roamer_1]

What’s the old expression?

If you change nothing, nothing will change.

I think that applies here.

Another old expression that is true in all conditions:

'If you're gonna hide a potato in your pants, hide it in the front, not the back.'

Not that it has anything to do with this thread, jussayin.

[Sighlass]

They fired half their firefighters for not taking a covid shot...

[DB]

They fired half their firefighters for not taking a covid shot...

Did they really?

[Hoodat]

They fired half their firefighters for not taking a covid shot...

LAFD: 113 firefighters off-duty without pay due to LA's vaccine mandate

December 6, 2021  |  3:37pm PST

LOS ANGELES - A total of 113 Los Angeles city firefighters have been removed from duty without pay for failing to meet the city's COVID-19 vaccination mandate for municipal employees, the department announced Monday.  .  .  .

.  .  .  Firefighters who continue to resist the vaccination mandate "will be entered into the process for termination of their employment, as outlined in the City Charter," Getuiza said.

https://www.foxla.com/news/lafd-113-firefighters-off-duty-without-pay-due-to-vaccine-mandate

[dfwgator]

The Woke LGBTQ Fire Brigade - or Ladies' Night in West Hollywood - who couldn't fight a fire if their lives depended upon it.


This is the fire chief, assistant chief, and training commander in Los Angeles Fire Department:

Sounds very stylish.

[rangerrebew]

State Farm canceled California homeowners’ insurance policies months before wildfires
 
State Farm canceled hundreds of homeowners’ insurance policies for residents in many of the same areas now in the path of the Southern California wildfires.

The insurance company’s reasoning for canceling policies for people living in Pacific Palisades in Los Angeles County, California, was due to elevated concerns associated with an increase in the frequency and magnitude of wildfires in the state, according to Newsweek.
 
The decision was announced in March, claiming it would cancel 72,000 property policies in California, 30,000 of which were home insurance policies, the Los Angeles Times reported. The cancellations went into effect over the summer. Around 1,600 homes in Pacific Palisades were victims of State Farm’s policy cancellations.

The insurance company’s decision was deemed a necessary business strategy to prevent “financial failure” allegedly due to California state laws that prevented companies from raising premiums to match the elevated risk, Newsweek reported. Other insurance companies followed State Farm’s decision, which has resulted in a significant homeowner insurance crisis in the state as residents have been limited in their options.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/public-safety-and-emergencies/natural-disasters/state-farm-canceled-california-homeowners-insurance-policies-months-before-wildfires/ar-BB1r8RZv?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=HCTS&cvid=4cb3399be2784415cf37fc28de8858a6&ei=132

[rangerrebew]

Rick Caruso says there's no water to fight Pacific Palisades fire: 'Absolute mismanagement'
Story by Danielle Wallace • 15h


Rick Caruso, a billionaire developer who unsuccessfully ran against Karen Bass for mayor in 2022, said stifled water supply as the Pacific Palisades fire reduces mulit-million-dollar real estate to ashes represents "absolute mismanagement by the city."

"There's no water in the Palisades. There's no water coming out of the fire hydrants. This is an absolute mismanagement by the city. Not the firefighters' fault, but the city's," Caruso, a former mayoral candidate, told Fox11 Los Angeles.
 
"We have got a mayor that is out of the country, and we have got a city that is burning, and there is no resources to put out fires," Caruso added. "It looks like we're in a third-world country here."

https://www.msn.com/en-us/public-safety-and-emergencies/fire-and-rescue/rick-caruso-says-there-s-no-water-to-fight-pacific-palisades-fire-absolute-mismanagement/ar-AA1xbYo6?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=HCTS&cvid=4cb3399be2784415cf37fc28de8858a6&ei=139

[rangerrebew]

Voters are getting exactly what they voted for.

[rangerrebew]

Former LA county sheriff sounds off on California wildfires, budget cuts: 'Very preventable'

Former Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva discusses the local response to 'devastating' California wildfires on 'The Big Money Show.'

https://www.msn.com/en-us/public-safety-and-emergencies/natural-disasters/former-la-county-sheriff-sounds-off-on-california-wildfires-budget-cuts-very-preventable/vi-AA1xbGNC?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=HCTS&cvid=4cb3399be2784415cf37fc28de8858a6&ei=151

[rangerrebew]

 Fact Check: Did California Donate Firefighting Equipment to Ukraine?
Story by Khaleda Rahman • 1h

As firefighters continue to battle devastating fires raging in the Los Angeles region, some have brought up California agencies donating firefighting supplies to Ukraine.

At least five wildfires have burned through almost 30,000 acres since Tuesday, growing fast in high winds and causing at least five deaths.
 
More than 100,000 people have been ordered to evacuate, with the most recent mandatory evacuation orders coming on Wednesday evening after a new blaze, the Sunset Fire, broke out in the Hollywood Hills.

Firefighters are continuing to fight the Palisades Fire west of Los Angeles, which has become the most destructive in Los Angeles history, as well as the Eaton Fire north of Pasadena, the Hurst Fire in the San Fernando Valley and another blaze near Acton.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/public-safety-and-emergencies/fire-and-rescue/fact-check-did-california-donate-firefighting-equipment-to-ukraine/ar-BB1r9aBQ?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=HCTS&cvid=4cb3399be2784415cf37fc28de8858a6&ei=185

[rangerrebew]

Liberals Are Blaming The CA Wildfires On … You Guessed It, Trump
 
John Loftus
Editor at Large
January 08, 2025
 


When things go wrong and you’re a liberal, your first instinct is to find a Republican, any Republican (but usually Donald Trump), and point the finger at them: it’s your fault because I hate you.

That is exactly what some liberals appear to be doing in the wake of the devastating Los Angeles wildfires. The Bulwark’s managing editor, Sam Stein, appeared to blame Trump for the fires, claiming that he “threatened publicly to cut wildfire aid to the state.” (RELATED: Incredibly Insane Video Of Two Men, Dog Trapped In Home And Surrounded By Flames Is Complete Nightmare Fuel)

The swift devastation of the #PalisadesFire is horrible. And then it dawns on you that Trump, set to take office in 13 days, has threatened publicly to cut wildfire aid to the state.

— Sam Stein (@samstein) January 8, 2025


California is once again under the threat of severe wildfires.

Thousands of acres burned, hundreds of homes destroyed.

Our piece of shit President Elect Trump has already threatened California that he’s going to withhold federal disaster aid due to political differences.

https://dailycaller.com/2025/01/08/liberals-blame-trump-california-los-angeles-wildfires-climate-change/?dicbo=&utm_source=spotim&utm_medium=spotim_recirculation&spot_im_redirect_source=pitc

[Elderberry]

When I was stationed on the Lex in Pensacola, I'd drive over to the tree farms in LA(Lower Alabama), to shoot handguns. They performed controlled burns regularly.

[rustynail]

Any one seen Lot?

[rustynail]

James Woods Calls Out LA Fire Chief Prioritizing DEI: ‘She Had Too Much on Her Plate Promoting Diversity’

Actor James Woods joined the growing chorus of public criticism against Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Kristin Crowley for her handling of the out-of-control wildfires in Pacific Palisades and other portions of the county, noting her stated priority of promoting DEI within the department.

https://www.breitbart.com/entertainment/2025/01/08/james-woods-calls-out-la-fire-chief-prioritizing-dei-she-had-too-much-on-her-plate-promoting-diversity/

[DCPatriot]

Any one seen Lot?

Top notch!   

[dfwgator]

Voters are getting exactly what they voted for.

Good and Hard!

[IsailedawayfromFR]

https://twitter.com/_PrinceCarlton_/status/1877141206490128796

The face of incompetence.

A perfect DEI hire.

One gets what one votes for

[American Girl]

Too many fires popping up for them to be random coincidences.

Are we really about to watch LA burn completely to the ground?

It’s starting to look like that.

https://redstatenation.com/just-in-arsonists-caught-red-handed-setting-fires-in-santa-monica-targeting-areas-far-from-active-wildfires/

[DCPatriot]

The face of incompetence.

A perfect DEI hire.

One gets what one votes for

@EricAbbenante
Subscribe
Epic Adam Carolla rant from a hotel after the LA wildfires forced to evacuate from his home, where he predicts Hollywood leftists will be so frustrated by the rebuild effort that they will not vote Democrat:

"You guys all voted for Karen Bass, the mayor of Los Angeles. You all voted for Gavin Newsom, and now you bleep get what you get. now that your house is on fire.

So here's what's going to happen. All these people who are deep blue Democrats are now going to have to pull a permit to rebuild, and they're going to get the 28 year old bitch from the Coastal Commission telling them to go bleep off and then they're going to vote for Trump or whoever's Trumpian next.

When they start getting the regulation, they're going to go nuts. And when they start running into the bureaucracy and the red tape, they're going to start going nuts and they're going to vote for Rick Caruso next time.

They're going to find out they're going to get bit by their own snake. They're going to convert. I am telling you, these are the bluest people on the planet and they're going to be bleep rip shit pissed when the City and the Coastal Commission tell them to bleep off.

We're going to have to restructure the whole thing because we can't have nine angry lesbians controlling everything that goes on in Malibu, the Palisades and Santa monica."

This is why Californians pay the highest taxes: So that their government can completely fail them in their time of need.

[mystery-ak]

Trump Calls on California Gov. Gavin Newsom to ‘Resign’ While L.A. Burns

President-elect Donald Trump has called on Democrat California Gov. Gavin Newsom to resign while the city of Los Angeles burns, saying it is “his fault.”

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2025/01/08/donald-trump-calls-california-gov-gavin-newsom-resign-la-burns/

[Wingnut]

we can't have nine angry lesbians controlling everything that goes on in Malibu, the Palisades and Santa monica."

Shit, I just spit my coffee out! 

[IsailedawayfromFR]

https://twitter.com/bonchieredstate/status/1877323626115969260

[mystery-ak]

https://twitter.com/SprinterObserve/status/1877291751968329944

[IsailedawayfromFR]

Shit, I just spit my coffee out!

Try this one

[mystery-ak]

8:22 AM — According to CalFire, there are five active wildfires Thursday morning. The Palisades and Eaton fires are still both over 10,000 acres and 0% contained.

[IsailedawayfromFR]

I feel an onerous congressional emergency funding bill is emerging that will absolutely dwarf anything we have ever seen, a magnitude bigger than Katrina funding.

The federal government has zero responsibility to fund what is clearly a state-enacted situation.

[IsailedawayfromFR]

LA will catch and release criminals, so they have nothing to worry about.

[IsailedawayfromFR]

A smart business move for them.

Actuaries are some of the most intelligent people around and a principal reason insurance companies almost never go broke.

[rangerrebew]

 
LAFD Chief Warned Budget Cuts 'Severely Limited' Disaster Response a Month Before LA Wildfires Outbreak
Story by Ross A. Lincoln • 7h

A month before the outbreak of multiple, devastating fires throughout greater Los Angeles, Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Kristin Crowley warned that recent budget cuts approved by Mayor Karen Bass "severely limited" LAFD's ability to respond to "large scale emergencies."
 
"The reduction … has severely limited the department's capacity to prepare for, train for, and respond to large-scale emergencies, including wildfires," Crowley said in a memo dated Dec. 4, 2024, and published Wednesday by KNBC in Los Angeles.

The 2024 Los Angeles city budget included approximately $17 million cut from LAFD. According to the city, these cuts were in part to account for multiple positions that would not be filled; they also redirected certain funds to emergency health services, due to the fact that the majority of FD calls were for medical emergencies and not fires.

Though only approximately 2% of the total LAFD budget — which, after the cuts was still $819 million — it was one of the largest of numerous cuts in the budget approved in May. One city entity was spared however: The Los Angeles Police Department, which despite a drop in total staff and a historically low crime rate received a $127 million increase in funding.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/public-safety-and-emergencies/health-and-safety-alerts/lafd-chief-warned-budget-cuts-severely-limited-disaster-response-a-month-before-la-wildfires-outbreak/ar-BB1r8C3N?ocid=widgetonlockscreen&cvid=6781d8d5effa4f1088817a88ad217f81&ei=43

[Timber Rattler]

"Razorfist" is a bomb throwing influencer popular with the online gaming community and not everyone's cup of tea but he absolutely nails it here:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DY3sBJbuVus

[mystery-ak]

Elon Musk announces SpaceX will provide free Starlink terminals in LA

As raging fires ravage California, leaving a trail of destruction in their wake, wealthy business magnate Elon Musk announced that SpaceX will supply free Starlink terminals to impacted areas in Los Angeles.

He made the announcement when retweeting footage of a reporter crediting Starlink internet service with connectivity.

The reporter said that Starlink is "the only reason we're able to hear and communicate with you guys right now because there's absolutely no cell service at all in this whole area."

Musk has claimed that wildfires in the Golden State could have been prevented, but regulations get in the way of taking steps to prevent the infernos.

"These fires are easily avoidable, but nonsense regulations in California prevent action being taken, so year after year homes burn down and more people die," Musk declared in a post on X.
Posted by Alex Nitzberg

[mystery-ak]

LA Mayor Karen Bass tells locals that help can be found at ‘URL’

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, speaking late Wednesday at a news conference regarding the wildfires, appeared to tell residents to visit the website “URL” if they need help.

“Make no mistake, Los Angeles will rebuild stronger than ever. Right now, if you need help, emergency information, resources and shelter is available. All of this can be found at URL. Los Angeles together is how we will get through this,” Bass said while reading off a script.

The mayor has been facing criticism for being in Ghana for a presidential inauguration there when the fires broke out in her city on Tuesday.

When Bass returned to Los Angeles on Wednesday, she remained silent after being asked by a reporter, "Do you owe citizens an apology for being absent while their homes were burning?”

The City of Los Angeles’ website says fire updates and evacuation orders are being provided by the Los Angeles Fire Department.
Posted by Greg Norman

[mystery-ak]

[mountaineer]

There are several small fires in addition to the five major ones. For instance, I had an eye on the "Freddy fire," because it threatened Leo Carrillo beach/state park near Malibu, and that's the beach we always visited when my family lived in Northridge many decades ago. I've learned it's now been fully contained after burning five acres.

[rangerrebew]

Meteorologist Anthony Watts: ‘No, Mainstream Media, Climate Change Isn’t to Blame for California’s Wildfires’
By Marc Morano
January 8, 2025
7:12 pm



By Anthony Watts

The devastating wildfires in Los Angeles have once again become a rallying cry for those blaming climate change for natural disasters. Recent coverage, such as stories in Axios and by the BBC  hastily and falsely connect these wildfires to a “rare confluence of climate factors,” a narrative that has become all too familiar. However, any such connection is unsupported by data. As is often the case, linking individual wildfires or even a single year’s wildfires to long-term climate change oversimplifies complex natural events, failing to address the broader context. To truly understand these fires, we must consider history, meteorology, and land management—not just the latest climate narrative.

California has a long history of wildfires, the vast majority of which occurred well before human-induced climate change became a point of discussion. Historical records and studies show that the region has always been prone to cycles of fire. For example, a study published by the U.S. Forest Service highlights the significant role of wildfires in the natural ecology of California, with fire-return intervals ranging from decades to centuries, depending on the ecosystem.

Native Americans set fires to manage vegetation and prevent catastrophic wildfires. However, these practices were abandoned after European settlement, contributing to the accumulation of fuel in forests. Today’s fires, while tragic, fit into a long history of natural and human-influenced fire activity in the region.

https://www.climatedepot.com/2025/01/08/meteorologist-anthony-watts-no-mainstream-media-climate-change-isnt-to-blame-for-californias-wildfires/

[Lando Lincoln]

https://twitter.com/SprinterObserve/status/1877291751968329944

Breathtaking for horrible reasons.

[Wingnut]

Man that Karen Bass is really qualified to run LA.... into the ground.