President-elect <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donald Trump</a> said that he expects to travel to California to survey fire damage as part of his first week back in office.
Trump told NBC News that he plans to visit Los Angeles to see where deadly fires have raged for over a week and consumed tens of thousands of acres. The incoming president said he was first planning to go last Friday, but wanted to wait until he was sworn in as president.
“I will be, probably, at the end of the week,” Trump <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-says-will-probably-travel-los-angeles-next-week-rcna188262" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> NBC News on Saturday. “I was going to go, actually yesterday … but I thought it would be better if I went as president. It’s a little bit more appropriate, I suspect.”
Two of the Los Angeles fires, the Palisades Fire and the Eaton Fire, <a href="https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents" target="_blank" rel="noopener">have yet</a> to be fully contained. The Palisades Fire has burned some 23,713 acres and is only 52% contained while the Eaton Fire has burned 14,021 acres and is just 81% contained.
At least 27 people <a href="https://ktla.com/news/local-news/31-people-still-missing-in-southern-california-as-result-of-eaton-palisades-fires-sheriff/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">are dead</a> as a result of the fires while 31 people are still reportedly missing.
Trump has been very critical of how top California Democrats, including Governor Gavin Newsom and L.A. Mayor Karen Bass, have handled the fires.
“One of the best and most beautiful parts of the United States of America is burning down to the ground,” Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/113796555731896970">posted</a> on Truth Social on January 8. “It’s ashes, and Gavin Newscum should resign. This is all his fault!!!”
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Trump also singled out a water policy implemented by Newsom he said was to blame for water shortages experienced by fire fighters.
“Governor Gavin Newscum refused to sign the water restoration declaration put before him that would have allowed millions of gallons of water, from excess rain and snow melt from the North, to flow daily into many parts of California, including the areas that are currently burning in a virtually apocalyptic way,” he said earlier this month.
“He wanted to protect an essentially worthless fish called a smelt, by giving it less water (it didn’t work!), but didn’t care about the people of California. Now the ultimate price is being paid. I will demand that this incompetent governor allow beautiful, clean, fresh water to FLOW INTO CALIFORNIA! He is the blame for this. On top of it all, no water for fire hydrants, not firefighting planes. A true disaster!” Trump added.

President-Elect Trump Holds Press Conference At Mar-A-Lago

Trump Expects To Visit Los Angeles Fire Devastation During First Week Back

California

Donald Trump

Los Angeles

Los Angeles Fires

Politics

Wildfires

Liberal comedian <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/bill-maher" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bill Maher</a> and former Los Angeles Democratic Mayoral candidate Rick Caruso said on Friday that President-elect Donald Trump was right about the wildfires in California.
The two made the remarks during Maher&#8217;s HBO show &#8220;Real Time&#8221; while discussing how Caruso would have handled the catastrophic fires that have caused tens of billions of dollars worth of damage.
“To know there’s a fire coming, to know you’re in fire season,” Caruso said. “We had a fire three weeks ago in Malibu. Six years ago we had a fire in Brentwood, and for those that don’t know the Brentwood area, it’s 15 minutes from where the Palisades Fire was. There’s 40-year-old vegetation between Brentwood and the Palisades, and at that time, I said, ‘If that fire travels, it’s gonna come through and wipe out the Palisades.'&#8221;
“I’m so sad that I was right,” he added. “It was predictable, Bill. And what’s predictable is preventable.”
“And then on top of it, to have a main reservoir out of service during peak fire season. I mean, that’s border negligence,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;And so we’ve got to get to the backstory of this, but you’ve gotta make good business decisions. Running this city is running a business for the benefit of the residents and what everybody should have been saying, ‘We had all the alerts about the firestorm coming in or the winds coming in … why wasn’t more done?'&#8221;
Maher interjected: “I remember when we had a fire when Trump was president, and he came in and he said, ‘You don’t rake, you’re not raking.&#8217; And I did — we all did jokes about it. But, we’ve got to get over this thing.”
“Is he wrong, usually? Yeah,&#8221; Maher said. &#8220;But I’m not going to — I remember when he took Ivermectin or something and then Ivermectin, which won the Nobel Prize, and it was like that became snake oil. No, just because Trump says it doesn’t mean it’s automatically wrong. Did he have a point about that?”
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“Of course he did,” Caruso said.
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US-CHARITY-BABY2BABY

Rick Caruso And Bill Maher Agree: Trump Was Right About California Fires

Bill Maher

Karen Bass

Rick Caruso

On Friday, a union representing more than 3,000 Los Angeles city firefighters gave its full-throated support for Fire Chief Kristin Crowley, who was reportedly <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/la-fire-chief-reportedly-called-to-mayors-office-to-be-fired-heres-what-we-know" target="_blank" rel="noopener">called into Democrat Mayor Karen Bass&#8217; office</a> last week to be fired, though she ultimately kept her job.
Mayor Bass and Crowley have been at odds while the city of Los Angeles battles historic wildfires that have so far killed 25 people, and others remain missing. Additionally, Crowley was recently the subject of an anonymous letter from “retired and active LAFD chief officers&#8221; condemning her performance as chief, and specifically her decision to <a href="https://x.com/CollinRugg/status/1877827973895893084?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1877827973895893084%7Ctwgr%5E585d526402d13d1ba29fc4ec80f388dbccb9aa40%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailywire.com%2Fnews%2Fla-fire-chief-reportedly-called-to-mayors-office-to-be-fired-heres-what-we-know" target="_blank" rel="noopener">call out Mayor Bass</a> on television.
United Firefighters of Los Angeles City Local 112 condemned the letter admonishing Crowley, which they said was signed by &#8220;disgruntled and anonymous individuals.&#8221; The union also thanked Crowley for being “willing to fight” for her staff and the agency’s budget, the Los Angeles Times <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-01-17/firefighter-union-rallies-behind-lafd-chief-denounces-attack-on-her-performance" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
“While we haven’t agreed on everything, you’ve been the only fire chief in decades to repeatedly demand adequate resources,” the union said.
Crowley bluntly told the press last week that city leadership “failed” her department &#8212; a moment the letter admonishing Crowley referred to as an &#8220;outburst.&#8221;
“Chief, please focus on your current duties and responsibilities which currently should be focused on mitigating and stabilizing the Palisades fire,&#8221; the anonymous letter said. &#8220;Your outburst regarding the budget and the statement that the ‘City failed the LAFD’ was ill-advised, poorly timed and took away from the most important issue, the Palisades fire.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
JUST IN: Los Angeles Fire Department chief Kristin Crowley turns on Los Angeles leadership, says they failed her.
Remarkable interview.
Crowley called out the city for having no water in the Santa Ynez Reservoir.
Reporter: &#8220;Did the city of Los Angeles fail you and your… <a href="https://t.co/fUQPoW32QA">pic.twitter.com/fUQPoW32QA</a>
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) <a href="https://twitter.com/CollinRugg/status/1877827973895893084?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 10, 2025</a></blockquote>
Mayor Bass has been accused of ignoring warnings of the forecasted high winds and fire threat, opting to leave town for a taxpayer-funded trip to Africa. The mayor also cut the fire department budget by <a href="https://abc11.com/post/los-angeles-cut-175m-fire-department-budget-months-before-palisades-signed-mayor-karen-bass/15782731/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$17.5 million</a> just months before the fires broke out, as highlighted by Crowley. Currently, an online petition signed by <a href="https://www.change.org/p/demand-the-immediate-resignation-of-mayor-karen-bass" target="_blank" rel="noopener">more than 155,000 people</a> calls for Bass&#8217; immediate resignation.
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There is also much controversy about the LA Fire Department&#8217;s priorities, specifically its focus on DEI goals over competence and effectiveness. For example, the department’s assistant chief, Kristine Larson, appears in a video in which she says that if someone complains about a woman firefighter’s inability to carry a man out of a fire, her response would be, “He got himself in the wrong place if I have to carry him out of a fire.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
LAFD Assistant Chief Kristine Larson:
&#8220;Am I able to carry your husband out of a fire? He got himself in the wrong place.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/BofTVr6dWP">pic.twitter.com/BofTVr6dWP</a>
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) <a href="https://twitter.com/EndWokeness/status/1877458240050446339?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 9, 2025</a></blockquote>
Journalist Michael Shellenberger has reported whistleblowers&#8217; stories about detrimental DEI standards with the department.
&#8220;DEI didn&#8217;t hurt the LA Fire Department&#8217;s response to the catastrophic fires, say the media. But anything that trumps meritocratic standards would,&#8221; Shellenberger posted online. &#8220;And now, whistleblowers within LAFD say the Department lowered standards on ladders, hoses &amp; push-ups to meet DEI quotas for women.&#8221;
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Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/la-fire-chief-reportedly-called-to-mayors-office-to-be-fired-heres-what-we-know" target="_blank" rel="noopener">LA Fire Chief Reportedly Called To Mayor’s Office ‘To Be Fired.’ Here’s What We Know.</a>

Fire Chief Kristin Crowley

LA Fire Chief Gets Backing From Union After Reportedly Being On Mayor’s Chopping Block

Fire

Natural Disaster

U.S.

Comedian <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/adam-carolla">Adam Carolla</a> is predicting that the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/wildfires">wildfires</a> in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/california">California</a> will help turn the tide on the state&#8217;s endless red tape.
The actor spoke with The Daily Wire in the aftermath of the disaster, discussing how California can come back from the fires and blasting leftists&#8217; focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion. Carolla also mentioned how he had tried to become a firefighter in L.A. but was turned down. 
“I tried to be a firefighter, you know, when I was 19 … I wasn&#8217;t black enough, or Hispanic enough, or female enough to be let on to the crew. So I did have a little kind of special place in my heart for equity, ‘cause I was poor, and needed a job, and was willing to work,” Carolla said in an interview that aired on Morning Wire.
<iframe style="width: 100%; max-width: 660px; overflow: hidden; border-radius: 10px;" src="https://embed.podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/adam-carolla-on-fires-failures-urgent-need-for-change-1-18-25/id1576594336?i=1000684477617" height="175" frameborder="0" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-storage-access-by-user-activation allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation"></iframe> 
He continued, “The people who just want their property saved or just want their kids saved or their pets saved or their husband or their wife saved don&#8217;t care about equity. And I also don&#8217;t think people in 2025 America care at all.”
“We just sort of want the best-qualified person,” Carolla went on. “I think it&#8217;s racist and a lot of projection when they would say …the fire department needs to resemble the community that it serves. I&#8217;d always go, I don&#8217;t know, why? Who cares?”
The podcast host is one of thousands who had to evacuate his home. Carolla said his apartment survived the inferno, but the entire area around it was burned down.
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When asked if the rebuilding process will help cut down on regulations and government red tape, the comedian was optimistic, saying most people don’t realize how much exists until they come face to face with it. He said the rebuilding after the fires will inspire a “renaissance.” 
“I had a front-row seat to like really bad regulatory systems and lots of overreach and too much intervention by the government early and I&#8217;ve complained about it my entire radio career, but no one else cared because they just didn&#8217;t come from that,” he said. “So they didn&#8217;t really experience it, but I think now they&#8217;re getting a little bit of a front-row seat to it. And so I hope sort of globally it is impactful.”

Adam Carolla

Adam Carolla Predicts L.A. Wildires Will Inspire Regulatory ‘Renaissance’

Adam Carolla Predicts L.A. Wildires Will Inspire Regulatory 'Renaissance'

Comedian and HBO host <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/bill-maher" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bill Maher</a> laid into Governor Gavin Newsom during a recent TMZ interview, arguing that if California leadership could cut through oppressive regulations and &#8220;red tape,&#8221; they should have done so before the southern part of the state had burned to the ground.
Maher argued that it wasn&#8217;t really a Left or Right issue, but one of accountability, telling TMZ hosts Harvey Levin and Charles Latibeaudiere that he&#8217;d had previous run-ins with California&#8217;s extensive building regulations when he had tried to install a shed and some solar panels on his own property.
&#8220;I always think there’s a middle of the road, actual practical solution to everything and for this I would say, was California’s uber progressive politics the cause of this fire? Of course not. Did it impede them to some degree? Absolutely. That’s the margin of error that I’m saying we can’t abide by anymore,&#8221; Maher explained.
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<iframe loading="lazy" title="Bill Maher Reacts To California Cutting Red Tape After L.A. Wildfires | TMZ" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fUBeo3CQ70A?start=2&#038;feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
The comedian, who had previously detailed his own difficulties with the state&#8217;s excessive red tape on his own show — HBO&#8217;s &#8220;Real Time&#8221; — said that he was in favor of holding all government officials accountable.
&#8220;Now, as far as the red tape, I see that they’re all — Newsom, Bass — they’re all saying, we’re going to cut red tape, as if they’re doing us a favor,&#8221; Maher continued. &#8220;My question is, well, if you can do it now, why didn’t you always do it? Obviously, it can be done. It’s not a favor to us to cut the red tape. Why do we live in this state, in this red tape nightmare the other times of the year when we’re not on fire?&#8221;
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Newsom announced that he would slash red tape for residents who chose to rebuild in the aftermath of the devastating fires, and also promised to prosecute any developers who attempted to sweep in and buy up the land.
Toward that end, the Democrat governor signed an <a href="https://www.gov.ca.gov/2025/01/14/governor-newsom-issues-order-to-protect-fire-victims-from-predatory-real-estate-speculators/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">executive order</a> on Tuesday &#8220;barring opportunist and predatory investors from making unsolicited undervalue offers to families impacted by the firestorms to buy their land, taking advantage by offering fast cash for destroyed property.&#8221;

Bill Maher Unloads On Newsom, Demands To Know Why He Didn’t Cut Red Tape ‘When We Were Not On Fire’

Bill Maher Unloads On Newsom, Demands To Know Why He Didn't Cut Red Tape 'When We Were Not On Fire'

Gavin Newsom

Media

Filmmaker Justine Bateman warned that California Governor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/gavin-newsom" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gavin Newsom</a> needs to be removed immediately following the disaster of the fires in Los Angeles “before something worse happens&#8221; in the state.
In a post on <a href="https://x.com/JustineBateman/status/1879389040085983501">X</a>, the 58-year-old actress called on voters in the Golden State to watch how insincere Newsom appeared in a video of him talking about working with President-elect Donald Trump to provide resources to those affected by the Southern California fires, while at the same he has set aside tens of millions of taxpayer dollars to fight Trump.
“I really want other CA voters to see the lack of sincerity, the dismissiveness, the dedication to pretentiousness, and the dereliction of care for the citizens of California,” Bateman wrote. “He has always demonstrated this. In every video.”
“You cannot trust this kind of person with any role, and especially not one upon which our wellbeing depends,” she added. “Gavin Newsom needs to be removed, before something worse happens here.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
I really want other CA voters to see the lack of sincerity, the dismissiveness, the dedication to pretentiousness, and the dereliction of care for the citizens of California. He has always demonstrated this. In every video. 
You cannot trust this kind of person with any role, and… <a href="https://t.co/tvO977cWKn">https://t.co/tvO977cWKn</a>
— Justine Bateman (@JustineBateman) <a href="https://twitter.com/JustineBateman/status/1879389040085983501?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 15, 2025</a></blockquote>
In an earlier <a href="https://x.com/JustineBateman/status/1879674563979608465">post</a>, Bateman said not only should Newsom be replaced, but Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, too, following the mismanagement of the city’s resources, which led to the disaster of the three fires in LA.
“We already knew that the city and state was being mismanaged, before these fire disasters,” the filmmaker said.
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“This will only get worse. I am not willing to find out how unprepared the city and state is for a major earthquake, structure-destroying mudslides, water system poisonings, power grid collapses, or any of the other things that could befall us here,” she added. “We have all the demonstration[s] we need to want something different.”
The actress’ comments were similar to ones she made during her appearance with <a href="https://x.com/JesseBWatters/status/1877528141951840593">Jesse Watters on Fox News</a>.
“If you are going to run a city or run a state, you have to take care of the basics, and that’s make sure that your fire and your police department are well funded,” Bateman said, noting that it includes being prepared for when disasters occur in the area like fire, earthquake, rain, and the mudslides afterward.
“If you are not doing everything you can to [mitigate disasters] if they arise, then get out,” she added. “You are useless to us. If you can’t cover the basics, get out of our city. You are useless to us, you are a liability and you have destroyed people’s lives because you didn’t do your job.”
“You didn’t do what we paid you for and you should resign out of shame and responsibility for the people whose lives you’ve destroyed right now,” Bateman continued.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/patricia-heaton-blows-up-on-la-mayor-as-fires-rage" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Patricia Heaton Blows Up On LA Mayor As Fires Rage</a>

Justine Bateman

Filmmaker Justine Bateman Warns Newsom Has To Be Removed ‘Before Something Worse Happens’

Celebrities

Entertainment

Hollywood

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/kelly-osbourne">Kelly Osbourne</a> had some strong words for <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/celebrities">celebrities</a> who appear to be using the destructive <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/wildfires">fires</a> in the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/los-angeles">Los Angeles</a> area as a photo op or to draw attention to themselves.
The daughter of Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne didn’t name names, but she did express her thoughts with a social media post. 
“Ok, I have a question. Is it me being my normal overthinking cynical self, or is it really disturbing to see all of these celebrities using other people&#8217;s pain and suffering as a photo op to say look, I&#8217;m helping, I&#8217;m doing this, I&#8217;m doing that,” Osbourne said in a video <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@knotsour/video/7459990859145153808">reposted</a> to TikTok on a Kelly Osbourne fan account on Wednesday. The 40-year-old former reality star had initially posted the video on her Instagram account but later deleted it.
She continued, “I don&#8217;t believe you help because you get attention for helping, I believe you help because you want to. I&#8217;m so confused. I think it&#8217;s so wrong. No one asked you to come out and give hugs, go home.”
Even though she doesn’t specify who her comments are directed at, commenters on TikTok speculate she might have been referring to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, who have caught heat for being photographed at the Pasadena Convention Center, which is being used as a refuge for people who were evacuated. The Duchess of Sussex was seen wearing a mask and baseball cap while handing out food and hugging victims.
“Well said,” one commenter wrote. “Meghan and Harry brought a full film crew with them for [their] own benefit&#8230; PR stunt.”
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“So you mean Megan and Harry? Yes yes yes,” another agreed.
Actress Justine Bateman blasted Harry and Meghan on social media last week for acting like what she described as “disaster tourists.”
The “Family Ties” alum <a href="https://x.com/JustineBateman/status/1878277401404141859">shared</a> on X, “Meghan Markle and Harry are no better than ambulance chasers. What a repulsive ‘photo op’ they achieved. They are ‘touring the damage’? Are they politicians now? They don’t live here; they are tourists. Disaster Tourists.”
Bateman lives in the Hollywood Hills, which has been affected by the wildfires. Meanwhile, Harry and Markle live in Montecito, about 80 miles from the Palisades and Hurst fires.
A recent Page Six <a href="https://pagesix.com/2025/01/13/royal-family/prince-harry-meghan-markle-find-justine-batemans-disaster-tourist-claim-offensive/">report</a> says the royal pair is “offended” by Bateman’s comments, according to an unnamed source.

Kelly Osbourne

Kelly Osbourne Trashes Celebs Using LA Fires As A Photo Op: ‘Go Home’

Kelly Osbourne Trashes Celebs Using LA Fires As A Photo Op: 'Go Home'

Los Angeles County

Meghan Markle

Prince Harry

Los Angeles Mayor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/karen-bass" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Karen Bass</a>’ deputy mayor, who was in charge of overseeing the city&#8217;s fire department, was not on the job in the weeks and days leading up to the historic wildfires that erupted last week because he was placed on leave after he was raided by the FBI.
The New York Post <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/01/14/us-news/bass-appointee-was-put-on-leave-after-alleged-la-bomb-threat/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that the Los Angeles Police Department initially indicated when the incident happened last month that Deputy Mayor Brian Williams was likely the “source of the threat.”
The FBI took over the investigation because of Williams&#8217; connections to the local police department, the report said.
The raid happened less than three weeks before the fires broke out — burning more than 40,000 acres, causing $50+ billion in damages, destroying 10,000+ structures, and killing more than a dozen people.
Williams was in charge of overseeing several of the city&#8217;s largest departments, including the fire department, police department, and more, the report said.
The controversy is just the latest negative development for Bass, who has seen widespread criticism for her lack of preparedness and the fact that she was in Africa when the fires erupted despite pledging in 2021 to never take international trips if elected as mayor.
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Bass has also faced intense scrutiny over cutting millions of dollars from the city’s fire department budget.
In a memo dated December 4, 2024, L.A. Fire Chief Kristin Crowley wrote that the nearly $18 million in cuts “severely limited the department’s capacity to prepare for, train for, and respond to large-scale emergencies, including wildfires.”
“Without this funding, pilot compliance and readiness are jeopardized, and aerial firefighting capabilities are diminished,” Crowley wrote in the memo that was presented last month to the Board of Fire Commissioners, a panel of mayoral appointees who oversee the management of the department.
Crowley said that the overtime hours funded “Heavy Equipment Operators (HEOs) who make fire control lines around wildland fires, manage firefighting robotics, wildland fire road maintenance, post-fire demolition services, and other allhazard emergency services.”
“Ultimately, loss of funding impairs the Department’s ability to mitigate wildland fires and other hazards effectively,” she wrote.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/karen-bass-ignores-questions-about-her-handling-of-devastating-fires">Karen Bass Ignores Questions About Her Handling Of Devastating Fires</a>

LOS ANGELES, CA – AUGUST 17: L.A. Mayor Karen Bass announces establishing a task force to investigate, apprehend and prosecute suspects who have committed retail theft as businesses grapple with an uptick of smash-and-grabs in recent weeks a press conference held at City Hall in Los Angeles, CA.

LA Mayor Bass Appointee Who Oversaw Fire Dept Was On Leave Over Alleged Bomb Threat

Crime

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/los-angeles" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Los Angeles</a> helicopter reporter Chris Cristi’s aerial video he posted on social media showed nearly an entire town in southern California destroyed in one of the multiple wildfires in Los Angeles.
In a clip posted on <a href="https://x.com/abc7chriscristi/status/1879328008450011596">X</a> that has since gone viral, the ABC7 reporter wrote that, “This is the closest aerial view I’ve been able to capture yet of almost the entire town of Altadena, CA. There are no words… #EatonFire.”
The video showed an overview of rows and rows of homes, as far as the eyes could see, in the town completely destroyed with little more than burnt palm trees left standing on each of the properties in a city of 42,000.
It is truly hard to estimate exactly how many lots shown on the video were wiped out in the San Gabriel Valley town, north of Pasadena.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
THIS is the closest aerial view I’ve been able to capture yet of almost the entire town of Altadena, CA. There are no words… <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EatonFire?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EatonFire</a> <a href="https://t.co/uNX54XJUUL">pic.twitter.com/uNX54XJUUL</a>
— Chris Cristi (@abc7chriscristi) <a href="https://twitter.com/abc7chriscristi/status/1879328008450011596?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 15, 2025</a></blockquote>
Three fires in the area &#8212; Palisades Fire, Eaton Fire, and Hurst Fire &#8212; quickly spread last week thanks to the high speed Santa Ana winds leading to the evacuations of tens of thousands. It has wiped out some 7,000 structures and burned up 14,000 acres in Altadena and Pasadena alone, <a href="https://ktla.com/news/california/wildfires/palisades-eaton-wildfire-damage-maps/">KTLA reported</a>.
As of Wednesday, officials said the fire is 45% contained, but they warn that they are still on high alert as more strong winds are expected in the area that has very dry conditions, <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/eaton-fire-containment-altadena-strong-winds/">CBS</a> reported.
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The Palisades fire has scorched some 23,000 acres and destroyed 10,000 structures, the outlet noted. A map from KTLA showed the homes destroyed. The ones completely wiped out are in red in the map that can be seen <a href="https://ktla.com/news/california/wildfires/palisades-eaton-wildfire-damage-maps/">here</a>.
“Today’s efforts are focused on mop up and reinforcing containment lines to ensure perimeter control,” an incident report from California Fire read. “Hazard trees along roadways are being mitigated to protect both firefighters and the public.”
“The fire is expected to remain within its current footprint, with aircraft continuing to support firefighters with retardant drops in inaccessible terrain,” it added. “As repopulation efforts progress, the focus remains on ensuring that people are brought back into a safe and secure environment. Contingency resources are strategically prepositioned and ready to respond throughout communities along the fire’s western edge to due to the Santa Ana wind conditions.”
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/anna-faris-adam-brody-mandy-moore-become-latest-celebs-to-lose-homes-in-socal-fires" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Anna Faris, Adam Brody, Mandy Moore Become Latest Celebs To Lose Homes In SoCal Fires</a>

California fires

LA Reporter’s Aerial Video Shows Near-Entire Town Destroyed In SoCal Fires

LA Reporter’s Aerial Video Shows Near Entire Town Destroyed In SoCal Fires

Fires

Actor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/actor-michael-rapaport-signals-shift-on-trump-after-years-of-fervent-opposition-my-political-views-have-changed">Michael Rapaport</a> torched California Gov. Gavin Newsom for the Los Angeles wildfires after Newsom turned his focus on making the state “Trump-proof” ahead of President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration.
In a lengthy rant on <a href="https://x.com/MichaelRapaport/status/1879152133582598389">X</a>, the 54-year-old actor called on Newsom to resign and said the governor was done in the state following the devastation of the three fires in Southern California.
“You thought you were going to be president,” Rapaport blasted. “You’re never, ever, ever gonna be president, Gavin with the good hair. I don’t care how slicked back it is … little Nancy [Pelosi’s] little nephew.”
&#8220;Gavin with the good hair, you have overseen two of the most important cities in California and you’ve ran them, nose-dived into the ground,” he added. “San Francisco is apocalyptic. I’ve been there; I’ve seen it with my own eyes. You ran that gorgeous, iconic, totally unique American city into the ground. It’s a dump pot, a cesspool.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Gavin with the good hair Newsom 
aka Nancy’s Nephew blew it, there’s no learning curve, resign <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GavinNewsom?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GavinNewsom</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CaliforniaWildfires?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CaliforniaWildfires</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/iamrapaport?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@iamrapaport</a> <a href="https://t.co/eTFHA7diwh">pic.twitter.com/eTFHA7diwh</a>
— MichaelRapaport (@MichaelRapaport) <a href="https://twitter.com/MichaelRapaport/status/1879152133582598389?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 14, 2025</a></blockquote>
“And you turned Los Angeles … you let Los Angeles turn into a dump hole also,” Rapaport continued, calling the city “dirty” and full of homeless people. “The crime, the catch and release in California, and now these, the Los Angeles fires, you were woefully and pathetically unprepared for. And you keep talking, ‘We need to learn from our mistakes.’ Get the f*** out of here. There’s no more mistakes for you; you’re done!&#8221;
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The Hollywood star said Newsom has been talking about making the state “Trump-proof” when he should’ve been &#8220;fire-proofing California.”
&#8220;You’re talking about Trump this, Trump that. He’s not even president,&#8221; Rapaport blasted. “This is on you. This is on you. You’re the governor … you’re done.&#8221;
The comments were the latest from <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/completely-unacceptable-celebrities-slam-ca-leadership-as-fires-rage" target="_blank" rel="noopener">celebrities who have been blowing up</a> on Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass following the multiple fires that have nearly destroyed whole towns due to days of out-of-control blazes.
Actress <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/patricia-heaton">Patricia Heaton</a> recently called out both Newsom and Bass for the devastation in L.A.
“We have a mayor who cut the budget of the fire department in California by over $17 million dollars,” Heaton said in a video posted on <a href="https://x.com/PatriciaHeaton/status/1877112025207419073">X</a>. “Fire is the biggest hazard in Los Angeles. Why would you cut that budget? There was no water in the fire hydrants in the Palisades.”
“The people running the show just decimated [CA]. Drugs, homelessness with mentally ill people on the streets, crime … taxes. What do you pay all these taxes for to see your neighborhood go up in smoke?” she added.
“It is so enraging,” the actress continued. “That they took one of the most beautiful states, maybe the most beautiful state in the union and just continue to destroy it. Gavin Newsom standing there with his hands in his pockets … I just really feel for everybody there.”
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/patricia-heaton-blows-up-on-la-mayor-as-fires-rage" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Patricia Heaton Blows Up On LA Mayor As Fires Rage</a>

Premiere Of Showtime’s “White Famous” – Arrivals

Michael Rapaport Torches Newsom For SoCal Fires After Gov Focuses On ‘Trump-Proofing’ State

Michael Rapaport

Patricia Heaton

California legislators created a $21 billion “wildfire fund” to minimize risk to utility companies which could prove important if investigators find that such a company caused one of the recent major fires that have devastated Los Angeles County.
The fund permits Pacific Gas &amp; Electric Co., San Diego Gas &amp; Electric Co., and Southern California Edison to pay into it. If any of those utilities is found by investigators led by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection to be responsible for a fire, they are enjoined to pay for the first $1 billion of losses. After that, the wildfire fund will have to cover the costs.
In 2019, Pacific Gas &amp; Electric declared bankruptcy after being found responsible for the Camp Fire, the deadliest fire in the state’s history. “The Camp Fire was caused by electrical transmission lines owned and operated by Pacific Gas &amp; Electricity (PG&amp;E) located in the Pulga area,” the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20210128061532/https:/www.fire.ca.gov/media/5121/campfire_cause.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stated</a>. PG&amp;E later came out of bankruptcy.
Last month, the Biden administration <a href="//9160FEAD-AA4F-4135-A419-0C5F63184884/v" target="_blank" rel="noopener">gave PG&amp;E</a> a record $15 billion low-interest loan commitment to modernize PG&amp;E’s hydroelectric infrastructure and upgrade power lines. “Officials with the Loan Programs Office said that because the loan is a legal contract, future administrations wouldn’t be able to claw back the funds,” The Wall Street Journal reported.
“The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, the municipal utility that operates in Pacific Palisades, says it did not opt into the wildfire fund because it would have been too costly for its customers,” The Los Angeles Times <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-01-15/why-edison-likely-to-survive-even-if-its-lines-caused-horrific-l-a-firestorms" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. “If the large municipal utility was liable for the Palisades fire, the city of L.A. could face exorbitant financial costs.”
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The 2018 Camp Fire was caused by high-voltage transmission towers that had been in place for roughly a century; the 2019 Kincade Fire was caused by a line built roughly 50 years before. There is speculation that the current Eaton Fire near Pasadena, which has killed at least 17 people, may have started around a Southern California Edison electrical transmission tower.
Michael Wara, former wildfire commissioner for California and a member of the California Catastrophe Response Council, said, “If the wildfire fund did not exist today, Edison might be in real trouble. We would see something probably similar to what happened to PG&amp;E after the Camp Fire.”
“If you are an investor in PG&amp;E or Edison, you might look at this and think, ‘Hmm, I thought the fund was big enough. Maybe now I’m not so sure.’ The fund is there to provide confidence. If the fund isn’t big enough, there will be less confidence,” he added.
“If a large portion of the wildfire fund’s $21 billion was depleted, that could affect market perception of the fund, negatively affect utility company credit scores, and plunge investor-owned utilities — which cover about 80% customers across the state of California — into chaos,” The Times noted.

Eaton fire in Altadena, CA.

California Utilities Have ‘Wildfire Fund’ For Insurance. It Might Not Be Enough.

Business

Los Angeles Mayor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/karen-bass" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Karen Bass</a> signaled this week that she regrets taking her trip to Ghana despite her city being at risk of wildfires at the time due to the powerful Santa Ana winds and dry conditions.
Bass was asked by a reporter at the end of a press conference on Tuesday about the trip.
&#8220;Looking back, would you have taken that trip overseas?&#8221; the reporter asked.
Bass responded, &#8220;You know, I am gonna focus today on what we&#8211;&#8221;
When the reporter started to push back, Bass responded bluntly by throwing her hands up, declaring &#8220;no,&#8221; and walking away.
Bass was more than 7,000 miles away from the fires when they erupted last week.
She was visiting Ghana with three others for the inauguration of President John Dramani Mahama, who was elected last year.
Bass has also faced intense scrutiny over cutting millions of dollars from the city&#8217;s fire department budget.
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In a memo dated December 4, 2024, L.A. Fire Chief Kristin Crowley wrote that the nearly $18 million in cuts “severely limited the department’s capacity to prepare for, train for, and respond to large-scale emergencies, including wildfires.”
“Without this funding, pilot compliance and readiness are jeopardized, and aerial firefighting capabilities are diminished,” Crowley wrote in the memo that was presented last month to the Board of Fire Commissioners, a panel of mayoral appointees who oversee the management of the department.
Crowley said that the overtime hours funded “Heavy Equipment Operators (HEOs) who make fire control lines around wildland fires, manage firefighting robotics, wildland fire road maintenance, post-fire demolition services, and other allhazard emergency services.”
“Ultimately, loss of funding impairs the Department’s ability to mitigate wildland fires and other hazards effectively,” she wrote.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/karen-bass-ignores-questions-about-her-handling-of-devastating-fires">Karen Bass Ignores Questions About Her Handling Of Devastating Fires</a>

Press conference on continuing wildfires in Los Angeles

Karen Bass Regrets Taking African Trip Amid Fire Dangers

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