Newsom, Bass, and Sacramento: How the LA Fires Became a Conflagration

When tragedy strikes, human nature demands both answers and scapegoats—not that Los Angeles’s devastating wildfires are likely to produce a four-legged culprit à la Mrs. O’Leary’s cow.

So, where to point the finger now that some of the wealthier pockets of California lie in charred ruins, with the Pacific Palisades, Malibu, and other adjacent communities beginning their 2025 looking more like Berlin 1945?

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Two Months Before Deadly Blazes, LA Fire Chief Said She Needed More Firefighters—Then Karen Bass's Admin Scrubbed the Memo

Los Angeles fire chief Kristin Crowley warned city officials in November that her department had about half as many firefighters as it needed. When deadly wildfires struck the city two months later, Mayor Karen Bass's administration pulled Crowley's memo from its website.

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Bureaucracy, Red Tape, and a Failed Gavin Newsom Project: Why California Moved Slowly in Wildfire Prevention

The devastating wildfires in California followed decades of slow-moving fire prevention efforts delayed by bureaucracy and red tape. Those delays were magnified by a fire prevention initiative from Gov. Gavin Newsom (D.) that went years without completing a single project.

The Los Angeles fires are already projected to cause up to $150 billion in damage while displacing hundreds of thousands of residents. At least 11 people have died in the fires as of Friday evening, though the County of Los Angeles Department of Medical Examiner said that number is expected to rise.

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Gavin Newsom Invites Trump To Tour California Fire Sites

'We must not politicize human tragedy'

How leadership failures fueled the flames in the Golden State



America is no stranger to natural disasters. But it’s not the fires, floods, or earthquakes that are the most devastating — it’s the repeated failures to learn from them, prevent them, and take responsibility for the damage.

My heart goes out to the families who have lost homes, cherished memories, and livelihoods. But if we’re going to help California rebuild and prevent future disasters, we need to confront some uncomfortable truths about leadership, responsibility, and priorities.

California — ironically, in the name of environmentalism — continues to ignore solutions that would protect both the environment and its residents.

While Californians continue to face heart-wrenching losses, those who have the power to enact change are mired in bureaucracy, regulation, and ideologies that do nothing to protect lives or preserve the land. The result? A state that keeps burning, year after year.

Where did all the water go?

We all know that water is essential to life. When NASA searches for signs of life on other planets, it looks for water. Yet, California has spent decades neglecting its water infrastructure. The state hasn’t built a new major reservoir since 1979 — over 40 years ago. Back then, California’s population was roughly half what it is today. Despite massive population growth, the state’s water storage capacity has remained frozen in time, woefully inadequate for current needs.

Moreover, billions of gallons of rainwater flow straight into the ocean every year because no infrastructure exists to capture and store it. Imagine how different things could be if California had built reservoirs, aqueducts, and desalination plants to secure water for its dry seasons.

Water is life, but the state’s failure to prioritize this essential resource has put lives and ecosystems at risk.

Misplaced priorities and critical leadership failure

This neglect of critical infrastructure is part of a larger failure of vision, and in California, the consequences of that failure are on full display.

Consider the progressive leadership in Los Angeles, where the mayor cut the fire department’s budget to fund programs for the homeless, funneling money to NGOs with little oversight. While helping the homeless is a worthy cause, it cannot come at the expense of protecting lives and property from catastrophic fires. Leadership must put safety and well-being over political agendas, and that’s not happening in Los Angeles.

The same misplaced priorities extend to environmental policies. Progressive leaders have blocked sensible forest management practices, prioritizing dead trees over living creatures. They reject controlled burns, forest thinning, and other commonsense measures, bowing to the demands of activists rather than considering real solutions that would protect those they govern.

California’s wildfire crisis is, in many ways, a man-made disaster. Yes, factors like Southern California’s dry climate, strong Santa Ana winds, and little rain play a role, but the biggest contributing factor is poor land management.

The forests are choked with dry brush, dead trees, and vegetation that turn every spark into a potential inferno. The crisis could have been mitigated — if only the state had made forest management and fire prevention a higher priority.

Finland and Sweden, for example, understand the importance of maintaining healthy forests. These countries have perfected the art of clearing underbrush and thinning trees sustainably, turning potential fire fuel into biomass energy. This approach not only reduces the risk of wildfires, but it also creates jobs, boosts the economy, and improves the ecosystem. And yet, California — ironically, in the name of environmentalism — continues to ignore these solutions that would protect both the environment and its residents.

We need to stop pretending that something as devastating as the Palisades and Eaton fires are just “part of life” and hold leaders accountable.

Insurance rules put California residents at risk

California faces another major and often overlooked liability when it comes to natural disasters: insurance.

California’s ongoing disasters make the state an uninsurable risk. Insurance companies are pulling out because the odds of widespread devastation are just too high. This creates a vicious cycle: With private insurers gone, the government steps in to subsidize high-risk areas. This enables people to rebuild in fire-prone zones, perpetuating the destruction. The solution isn’t more government intervention; it’s better decision-making.

This doesn’t mean abandoning people to their fate, but we must address the root of the problem: California’s inadequate disaster preparedness and poor land management. If the state continues to resist commonsense solutions like forest thinning, controlled burns, and better zoning laws, no amount of insurance or government assistance will ever be enough to mitigate the losses. The cycle will repeat until the costs — financial and human — become unbearable. It’s time to stop pretending the risk isn’t real and start making decisions that reflect the reality of California’s landscape.

What’s the solution? California’s government needs to put its people over harmful political agendas that put its residents at risk. Start by managing your forests. Implement controlled burns, remove dead trees, and clear underbrush.

But how you vote matters. California’s progressive policies have focused on political correctness and ideology instead of practical, lifesaving solutions. Until voters hold leaders accountable, the cycle of destruction will persist.

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While California Burns, Gavin Newsom Begs Biden To Silence ‘Disinformation’

California Gov. Gavin Newsom asked Biden to help silence 'mis- and disinformation' as wildfire spread across Los Angeles.

Empty Reservoirs and Budget Cuts: What We Know About LA’s Disaster Prep Ahead of Deadly Fires

A 117-million gallon Los Angeles reservoir was empty when the disastrous fires struck the City of Angels because city leaders scheduled it for maintenance—during fire season. And just a week before the firestorm exploded, Mayor Karen Bass called for nearly $50 million in cuts to the Los Angeles Fire Department—after its chief had already warned that a $7 million reduction to the overtime budget "severely limited" its response to wildfires.

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Palisades mall owner didn't leave mall's fate up to the city — and it's now one of the only structures still in one piece



Fires have burned through 36,000 acres in Los Angeles County, destroyed or damaged over 10,000 buildings, displaced tens of thousands of residents, and claimed the lives of at least 10 people. By midday Friday, the California Department of Forestry and Fire protections indicated that only 3% of the Eaton fire, 35% of the Kenneth fire, 37% of the Hurst fire, and 8% of the Pacific Palisades fire had been contained.

While seemingly unstoppable, the Palisades fire, which began on Tuesday and has devoured homes, businesses, schools, and other structures alike, appears to have left the Palisades Village, an outdoor mall developed by Rick Caruso, largely untouched, reported SF Gate.

It appears the mall may have survived because Caruso, the former president of the Department of Water and Power who unsuccessfully ran for mayor in 2022, did not leave the structure's fate up to the city, whose mayor, Karen Bass, has been gallivanting around Africa and whose fire department recently had its budget cut while prioritizing diversity over quality.

According to the New York Times, Caruso had a team of private firefighters deployed in the area Tuesday night to protect the mall, which he owns, as well as nearby houses.

'This is a window into a systemic problem of the city.'

While taking matters into his own hands appears to have paid off — the mall is, after all, still standing — Caruso told the Los Angeles Times that the Palisades Village, which opened in 2018, still suffered some damage.

Caruso criticized the city for dropping the ball on infrastructure, particularly on water supply.

Within hours of the fire's initial spread, the first two of three one-million gallon municipal storage tanks that supply water to the hydrants in Pacific Palisades and other communities were depleted. The third was reportedly drained by Wednesday morning.

"There's no water in the fire hydrants," said Caruso. "The firefighters are there [in the neighborhood], and there's nothing they can do — we've got neighborhoods burning, homes burning, and businesses burning. ... It should never happen."

L.A. City Councilmember Traci Park similarly blasted the water issues, stating Wednesday, "The chronic under-investment in the city of Los Angeles in our public infrastructure and our public safety partners was evident and on full display over the last 24 hours."

Janisse Quiñones, chief executive of the DWP, said that the three tanks above the Palisades "help with the pressure on the fire hydrants in the hills in the Palisades, and because we were pushing so much water in our trunk line, and so much water was being used. ... We were not able to fill the tanks fast enough."

"This is a window into a systemic problem of the city — not only of mismanagement, but our infrastructure is old," said Caruso."

'Budgetary reductions have adversely affected the Department's ability to maintain core operations.'

"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," the former mayoral candidate told KTTV-TV. "It looks like we're in a third-world country here."

Bass apparently thought it was a good idea several months ago to cut the budget for the city's fire department.

Los Angeles City Controller Kenneth Mejia confirmed in October that Bass and the city council cut the LAFD's budget by $17.6 million for this fiscal year.

Patrick Soon-Shiong, owner of the Los Angeles Times, told Fox News Digital Thursday, "The mayor wanted $23 million [cut], she got $17.8 million as I understand. But that's a sort of, really, I think a bad call, especially water and fire is exactly, you know, I see the end result of that devastation."

L.A. Fire Chief Kristen Crowley noted in a Dec. 17, 2024, report that "budgetary reductions have adversely affected the Department's ability to maintain core operations, such as technology and communication infrastructure, payroll processing, training, fire prevention, and community education."

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‘Not a failure just of government … a failure of vision!’ Glenn Beck rips California authorities for teeing up wildfire catastrophe



For the last few days, a series of California wildfires have ripped through various parts of the Los Angeles area, leaving a trail of utter destruction in their wake.

Homes, churches, schools, and monuments have been burned to the ground. Recent reports indicate that nearly 180,000 residents have been forced to evacuate their homes. Ten deaths have been confirmed, with the toll expected to rise.

Already, fingers are being pointed and accusations of gross incompetence hurled at California authorities, including fire chief Kristin Crowley, whose top priority has been DEI initiatives, Mayor Karen Bass (D), who slashed fire department funding, and California Governor Gavin Newsom (D), whom Trump lambasted for not signing a bill that would have increased California’s water supply.

Naturally, many are asking the question: Was this tragedy preventable?

While Glenn Beck certainly doesn’t want to over-politicize a calamity, he’s long seen the writing on the wall: When it comes to wildfires, poor choices on the part of California authorities and voters teed up this disaster.

While the wildfires themselves might not have been entirely preventable, had the state made smarter choices in forestry management, allocation of resources, and voting, perhaps “the extent of the destruction in California could [have been] mitigated,” says Glenn.

“California has been playing with fire, literally, for a long time,” he explains. “Their forests are full of underbrush, dead trees, and dried vegetation, which is kindling for those flames.”

Glenn compares California to other countries and states, like Sweden, Finland, Austria, and even our own Florida, that are also at high risk for wildfires due to their geography but nonetheless take the precautions necessary to prevent devastating conflagrations.

Why won’t California take the same protective measures?

“The answer lies in bureaucracy and priorities” — “the environmental regulations, the lawsuits that block or delay any kind of forest management,” says Glenn. “Ideology has gotten in the way of the practical, the lifesaving solutions, and this has to change.”

Water (or the lack thereof) is the other main issue contributing to the crisis in L.A.

“Firefighters don't have water coming through the fire hydrants,” says Glenn, noting that California’s “water storage capacity is exactly the same as it was almost half a century ago” because the state hasn’t built a new water reservoir since 1979, despite a dramatic increase in population.

On top of that, “billions of gallons of rainwater flow straight into the ocean every year because [California hasn’t] built the infrastructure to capture and store the rainwater.”

Imagine how L.A.’s current wildfire catastrophe might look different if the state had “reservoirs and aqueducts and desalination plants to store and provide water,” says Glenn. “California has spent decades neglecting its water infrastructure while prioritizing projects that make no meaningful impact on people's lives. This is not a failure just of government; it is a failure of vision.”

To hear more of Glenn's analysis and commentary, watch the clip above.

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Elderly, infirm among dead from LA fires apparently stoked by catastrophic mismanagement



The fires that have ravaged Southern California have already claimed the lives of some of the area's most vulnerable residents as local officials still fail to provide answers several days into the disaster.

The stories about the deceased fire victims are both heartbreaking and infuriating.

Anthony and Justin Mitchell, father and son

Anthony Mitchell was a 67-year-old retired salesman. A father of four, grandfather of 11, and great-grandfather of 10, Mitchell was a family man who loved to coin nicknames for those he loved.

"He had nicknames for everybody: Strawberry Shortcake, Marshmallow, Bug. He just went on and on," said his daughter Hajime White, who lives in Arkansas.

Mitchell was an amputee and moved about in a wheelchair. He also cared for his son Justin who, though in his 20s, was bedridden due to cerebral palsy. Justin had difficulty speaking and mainly communicated through a computer.

Anthony called White Wednesday morning to alert her that they had to evacuate the area. "He said, ‘Baby, I’m just letting you know the fire’s broken out, and we’re going to have to evacuate," White recalled, according to the New York Post.

He then quickly added: "I've gotta go — the fire's in the yard."

Hours later, White learned that both her father and her half-brother were dead. "It’s like a ton of bricks just fell on me," she explained.

"He was not going to leave his son behind," White said of her dad. "No matter what."

Victor Shaw dies trying to save his home

Victor Shaw's family had been living in the same home on Montrose Avenue for 55 years. Though the home was in the path of the Eaton Fire and 66-year-old Victor and his younger sister Shari Shaw, who lived together, were under evacuation orders, Victor was determined to protect their home.

As flames from the Eaton Fire crept closer and closer, Shari made a run for it, but Victor remained behind.

"When I went back in and yelled out his name, he didn’t reply back, and I had to get out because the embers were so big and flying like a firestorm that I had to save myself," Shari said.

When officials later found Victor, he was outside, garden hose still in hand.

"They just told me that he was lying on the ground and that he looked serene, as if he was at peace."

Rodney Nickerson, retired engineer

Rodney Nickerson also refused to abandon his home despite evacuation orders. The 83-year-old retired Lockheed Martin engineer and church deacon bought the Altadena place for just $5 in 1968, according to CBS News.

"Everyone bought their houses for $30,000 and $35,000 in the early ’70s, and now they’re worth millions," said Rodney's son, Eric Nickerson.

According to daughter Kimiko Nickerson, Rodney thought he and his home could withstand the fiery threat.

"My son tried to get him to leave, and my neighbors and myself, and he said he’ll be fine. 'I’ll be here when you guys come back,' and he said his house would be here," Kimiko recalled.

"His house is here and he was here too," she added. "We found his bones, his whole body was there, intact."

The fire seems to have decimated the entire neighborhood. "They’re all gone," Eric said, referring to the homes.

Erliene Kelley, 'the perfect neighbor'

Erliene Kelley, a retired Rite Aid pharmacy technician, lived just a few blocks from Nickerson and Shaw, the New York Times reported.

Rita and Terry Pyburn, who lived in the same neighborhood and knew Kelley, are saddened that she also died in the fire.

"She was an angel," said Terry. "That’s the perfect neighbor. When you see her, you have a smile."

"She was so, so, so sweet."

'A DEI ... hydrogen bomb': Horrendous breakdown in leadership

The Pyburns are among many outraged L.A.-area residents.

"There was not good communication," Terry said. He and Rita believed that their residence on the west side of Lake Street was fine — until it was almost too late.

"We were in the house and just stayed there, thinking we were okay until we started smelling smoke," he told the Times.

"It was panic. Everyone took off and no one thought to check on anybody," he continued. "I think the notice came too late."

Between the communication failures, dry fire hydrants, a slashed fire department budget, and fire department officials more concerned about gender representation than saving lives, the failed leadership in L.A. has created what Victor Davis Hanson described as "a DEI, Green New Deal hydrogen bomb" that has exploded, turning the beautiful oceanside area to ash.

'This is a time of grief.'

Democratic Mayor Karen Bass has been feeling the heat for her apparent incompetence during the crisis. When the fires first broke out on Tuesday, Bass was on the other side of the globe, attending the inauguration of the president of Ghana. When Bass finally returned to her city, more than 24 hours after the fires began, she then ignored repeated questions from a reporter demanding answers on behalf of her beleaguered constituents.

"Have you absolutely nothing to say to the citizens today who are dealing with this disaster?" asked David Blevins of Sky News. Bass did not respond.

Bass may now be back in town, but the situation on the ground has hardly improved. According to the New York Post, two of the fires — the Eaton and Sunset Fires — are 0% contained. The Palisades fire is just 6% contained.

Even the Washington Post wondered "whether the area could have been better prepared for such a disaster, and what else could have been done to prevent such far-reaching devastation."

So far, statements from area officials have been underwhelming. Here are just a few samples.

  • "This is testing even the strongest among us. This is a time of grief," said Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath.
  • "The winds continue to be of a historic nature and a key factor of this firestorm," Bass said Thursday. "We also know that fire hydrants are not constructed to deal with this type of massive devastation and that the number-one problem, especially on ... Wednesday, was the fact that we weren’t able to do the air support because of the winds."
  • "It is safe to say that the Palisades Fire is one of the most destructive natural disasters in the history of Los Angeles," Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley helpfully noted.

As of Friday morning, tens of thousands of acres have burned and 10 deaths have been confirmed, though officials believe that number will rise. Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna gave a grim warning about what he expects in the coming days.

"At some point, we’ll be able to do a more thorough search of these impacted areas — some of them look like a bomb was dropped on them — where we will be able to bring in canines and other things to help us [and] hopefully not discover too many fatalities."

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