by Arsenio Toledo, Natural News:
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- The Pacific Palisades Fire has grown to over 15,800 acres, forcing 30,000 evacuations, destroying hundreds of structures, and claiming five lives, with containment efforts ongoing.
- The Los Angeles County Fire Department’s 2022 donation of surplus equipment to Ukraine has drawn criticism, as the department now struggles with resource shortages amid the wildfire crisis.
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- Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass faces backlash for being abroad during the disaster, while her administration’s $17.6 million fire department budget cut and recruitment challenges exacerbate the crisis.
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- The Biden administration’s halt on forest management projects and focus on Ukraine aid, including a new multibillion-dollar package, has sparked criticism amid California’s wildfire emergency.
As wildfires continue to ravage Los Angeles County and other parts of Southern California, reports are resurfacing about how the Los Angeles County Fire Department donated essential equipment to Ukraine back in 2022 – equipment that could have been useful now as the county finds itself struggling to contain multiple blazes.
The Pacific Palisades Fire, which began on the morning of Tuesday, Jan. 7, has grown to over 15,800 acres with zero percent containment as of Wednesday, Jan. 8, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. The blaze has forced the evacuation of at least 30,000 residents and destroyed hundreds of structures. Five people have been confirmed dead, with officials warning that the death toll could rise as firefighters battle multiple uncontained fires across the region.
The crisis has exposed a series of missteps and resource shortages that have left California vulnerable. In 2022, the Los Angeles County Fire Department donated surplus equipment to Ukraine, a move praised at the time as a gesture of solidarity. However, critics now argue that the decision has left the department ill-equipped to handle the current disaster.
“All over Southern California, people are finding ways to keep Ukraine front and center, and it’s no different for the Los Angeles County Fire Department,” ABC 7 reported in 2022.
Today, that goodwill gesture has come under scrutiny as the department scrambles to respond to the escalating crisis.
Democratic politicians fumble reaction to disaster
Compounding the problem, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has faced criticism for being abroad in Ghana during the disaster. Her administration is also being lambasted for slashing the budget of the fire department by $17.6 million for the 2024 to 2025 fiscal year, down from an initial proposed cut of $23 million, but still a very significant reduction in the department’s operating budget.
The city has also struggled to recruit new firefighters for years, and the federal Forest Service’s operations in Southern California have seen a significant reduction in personnel that has not been addressed by the administration of Gov. Gavin Newsom or by President Joe Biden.
Additionally, the Biden administration halted certain forest management projects, such as prescribed burns, citing environmental concerns.
