Californians are demanding answers as devastating wildfires continue to rage across Los Angeles, leaving at least 11 people dead and thousands of homes reduced to ashes.
On Friday, residents expressed growing frustration over the authorities’ preparedness and response to the disaster. Anger has been particularly directed at a series of false evacuation alarms and reports of dry hydrants that hampered firefighters during the initial outbreaks.
“We deserve to know why our city was not better prepared for this catastrophe,” said Maria Gonzalez, a resident whose home was destroyed in the fires. “False alarms caused chaos, and when the fires started, there wasn’t enough water to fight them.”
Governor Gavin Newsom has ordered a “full independent review” of the city’s utilities, calling the lack of water supply during the critical early stages of the fires “deeply troubling.”
Los Angeles city and county officials have described the wildfires as an unprecedented “perfect storm.” They cited powerful winds of up to 100 miles per hour that grounded firefighting aircraft, preventing them from delivering water and fire retardant to the parched neighborhoods below.
Experts agree that the combination of extreme winds, unusually dry weather, and the rapid emergence of multiple fires in close proximity made the devastating outcome unavoidable. “Even if all hydrants had been operational, it would have been insufficient to combat this week’s massive wildfires,” fire analyst David Chen told CNN.
Adding to the controversy, President-elect Donald Trump criticized Governor Newsom on social media, accusing him of refusing to sign a water restoration declaration that would have provided “millions of gallons of water” to combat the fires. Newsom’s office refuted the claim, stating that no such declaration exists and emphasizing that the governor has previously opposed efforts to redirect water to southern California due to environmental concerns.
In 2020, Trump attempted to redirect water from northern California to agricultural areas in the south, but the move was blocked by California’s attorney general over potential harm to endangered species like the Delta smelt.
“Efforts to protect endangered species do not impact the availability of water for firefighting,” said Jeffrey Mount, a senior fellow at the Public Policy Institute of California’s Water Policy Center, in an interview with the BBC.
Despite ongoing drought conditions, data shows that nearly all reservoirs in southern California are currently above their historical averages for this time of year.
In response to Trump’s criticism, Newsom invited him to visit Los Angeles to witness the devastation firsthand. “In the spirit of this great country, we must not politicize human tragedy or spread disinformation from the sidelines,” Newsom said.
Meanwhile, emergency managers issued an apology after false evacuation alerts were sent to millions of mobile phones, causing widespread panic. “I can’t express enough how sorry I am,” said Kevin McGowan, director of the Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management.
Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley pointed to recent funding cuts as a contributing factor, stating that her department has been chronically “understaffed” and “under-resourced.”
As authorities continue to investigate the cause of the blazes, residents are left grappling with the immense loss while seeking accountability from their leaders. Scientists warn that wildfires, while natural occurrences, are becoming more intense and frequent due to human-caused climate change, which alters weather patterns and exacerbates dry conditions.
Reference(s):
Who's to blame? Californians seek answers amid Los Angeles wildfires
cgtn.com
