Off Topic: Los Angeles Members Please Check In

[Peter_Spaeth]

I am not from LA, prior to this once in a lifetime perfect storm of an event, was anyone protesting that there were not enough firefighters to battle a potential disaster, or is this hindsight?

[gregndodgers]

People seem to forget or are not aware that such large fires are not unprecedented in California. Just a few years ago (2018) the Camp fire destroyed 153,336 acres, caused 85 fatalities, displaced more than 50,000 people, and destroyed more than 18,000 structures, causing an estimated $16.5 billion in damage. At the same time that the Camp fire was killing thousands, the Woolsey fire mowed down over 100,000 acres and destroyed over 1,500 homes.

So very large, simultaneous brush fires are not unprecedented in California.

If some do not want to hold leadership accountable and then accept that these large fires will destroy everything in its path and burn uncontrolled, that’s part of the problem.

I’ve been evacuated twice now (Woolsey in 2018 and now Eaton) and in both cases, the fire got to within a half mile of my two homes. I think when you are so close to the problem, the urgency for answers is much greater. Also, I am dangerously close to losing my homeowners insurance. Insurance companies are simply saying no; they won’t insure certain homes.

[egri]

Thought the excerpt from a Wall Street Journal article, written by someone who lost his home, would be of interest to the forum (emphasis mine):

Lola, my wife Silka and I packed what we could. I spent most of the next 10 minutes looking for the carrier for the cat and then the cat herself. I threw my most prized sports cards—a 1951 Bowman Willie Mays, a 1952 Topps Jackie Robinson—and my prescriptions, passport, laptop and a couple of chargers into a backpack. For some reason, I also packed a few T-shirts but no socks, underwear, pants, jackets or any other clothing.

Ten minutes to pack your life? I made bad choices: swimming ear plugs but no contact lenses. My daughter also made some questionable calls. One high heel, Lola, really? But she did grab our dog. My wife made the clutch calls, packing a few pieces of art and our most important documents: birth certificates, marriage licenses, passports. But then she forgot her jewelry.

[gregndodgers]

This is crazy.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2kTrN...B0b2RheQ%3D%3D

[Shoeless Moe]

In Chicago they had "Shot Spotter", until the new Mayor cancelled it this past September. That's not really the point. It was used to detect when gunshots went off, so police could be dispatched immediately. Police on the way b4 911 called.

In this day and age, and maybe with the use of drones or heat maps or what have you, how come they can't detect a fire before it becomes massive & spreads. I know that may be easier said then done, but if you had some detection type service once they are alerted to a fire, maybe they can provide an all out assault to stop or contain.

[Balticfox]

Originally Posted by gregndodgers

This is crazy.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2kTrN...B0b2RheQ%3D%3D

Appalling, absolutely appalling! But the citizens of Los Angeles voted her into the position!

Originally Posted by ABC11

Seven months before the uncontrolled Palisades Fire in Los Angeles, the city's fire department budget for this fiscal year was cut by more than $17.5 million, records show.

Mayor Karen Bass signed the City of Los Angeles' budget for the 2024-2025 fiscal year. The total budget for the city's fire department was $819.64 million.

Records show that for the previous fiscal year, the LAFD's total budget was $837.2 million. The total budget includes salaries, expenses and equipment.

I guess Mayor Karen Bass had other priorities....

[Peter_Spaeth]

And people probably applauded her for getting the budget more under control even if it was a small amount relatively. Can't have it both ways.

[Balticfox]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

And people probably applauded her for getting the budget more under control even if it was a small amount relatively. Can't have it both ways.

Oh?!

Originally Posted by Fox News

While Los Angeles officials were stripping millions in funding from their fire department ahead of one of the most destructive wildfires in state history, hundreds of thousands of dollars were allocated to fund programs such as a "Gay Men’s Chorus" and housing for the transgender homeless.

Deadly fires erupted across Southern California this week, which were amplified by fierce winds that resulted in about 10,000 homes and businesses being destroyed. After fire hydrants weren't producing water and homes burned to the ground, residents began calling out Democratic-led leadership in the state, who cut the Los Angeles Fire Department's (LAFD) funding by $17.6 million just months prior.

But even as the department funding was being pulled back, a Fox News Digital review of the L.A. County budget uncovered thousands of taxpayer dollars that were allocated to diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives and programs giving syringes to the homeless.

For example, the budget allocated $14,010 to the "Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles" this year, a group that seeks to "create musical experiences that strengthen our role as a leader among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) and performing arts organizations."

Another $190,000 was allocated to the Homeless and HIV Program, which includes a "syringe exchange" program that gives sterile syringes to homeless drug addicts.

An additional $100,000 of county funds was put aside to pay for Juneteenth celebrations, while $13,000 was allocated to "Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Heritage Month Programs."

The Civil + Human Rights and Equity Department was also granted $100,000 for a "Midnight Stroll Transgender Cafe" to fund housing for homeless transgender individuals in Hollywood.

The county also granted $13,000 to "Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Heritage Month Programs" and $4.5 million to the infrastructure of electric vehicle (EV) chargers. Appropriations for the General City Purposes saw $250,000 set aside for "equity and inclusion."

According to the report, homelessness funding was larger than the LAFD budget for the second year in a row.

[gregndodgers]

"While water supplies from local fire hydrants are not designed to extinguish wildfires over large areas, losing supplies from fire hydrants likely impaired the effort to protect some homes and evacuation corridors."

~ Governor Gavin Newsom

Exactly. if the city (fire hydrant) water system had been re-charged from local reservoirs (there are two large ones within 30 miles of the Eaton fire), could more homes have been saved?

A local Altadena man's charred body was found next to his house, and in his hands was the water hose he was using to try to save his house.

[Balticfox]

Originally Posted by Balticfox

I guess Mayor Karen Bass had other priorities....

They say that Nero fiddled while Rome burned. But at least he didn't leave town. Meanwhile L.A.'s Mayor Bass flew off to Ghana on a taxpayer funded junket in the midst of the conflagration devouring the city.

[BioCRN]

Are some of you actually pretending $500K to other city services would keep fires from burning houses?

This is LA. The city gives 1.9 billion to cops.

Billions. 1.9 of them.

900 million to the fire department, cutting 17.5 million of it burnt down a bunch of houses?

This isn't a money or budgeting issue.

It is perfectly fine to think your money is funding stuff that isn't needed, or it's wasted, or whatever, but budget allocations to other things and small fire training cuts aren't helping save houses. Houses aren't burning because incompetent people don't know how to put out fires.

Water, water availability, land/scrub management, wind...some things can be controlled, some can't, but it's not money keeping things from happening.

[ajjohnsonsoxfan]

Originally Posted by Balticfox

They say that Nero fiddled while Rome burned. But at least he didn't leave town. Meanwhile L.A.'s Mayor Bass flew off to Ghana on a taxpayer funded junket in the midst of the conflagration devouring the city.

She left for Ghana before any fires broke out. She didn't fly out in the "midst" of anything. Not like Ted Cruz did flying to Mexico in the midst of the Texas winter storm that killed 246 Texans in 2021. But I digress.

Tired of idiots spreading lies and misinformation when people are suffering.

[Vintagedeputy]

Originally Posted by gregndodgers

This is crazy.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2kTrN...B0b2RheQ%3D%3D

What an utter embarrassment. Shameful.