Fanning the Flames of Californian Fury: How State and Federal Government Negligence Impacts Wildfires
Wildfires have become a reoccurring event in California with weather patterns such as Santa Ana winds and dry vegetation that increase the likelihood of ignition. However, the catastrophic damages caused by the Los Angeles wildfires of early January should serve as a wake-up call to both federal and state governments to take greater preventative action against these deadly infernos. Engulfing nearly 24,000 acres of land in flames and destroying thousands of homes and businesses, this year’s wildfire has exposed the inadequacies and negligence of state and federal authorities in fire prevention and response. Executive decisions made prior to, during, and after the commencement of the fires demonstrate the incompetence of the government to protect residents and their livelihoods.
Though the increase in wildfires has ties to climate change, the poor policymaking has led to greater difficulties in fighting off these disasters when they occur. Seven months prior to the fire, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass reduced the Los Angeles Fire Department budget by $17.6 million. In an interview with CBS News, Bass claimed that they cut “nonessential” responsibilities; however, when questioned further, he admitted the lowered budget impacted firefighter response “to a certain factor.” This in turn cut resources from the department to efficiently eliminate the expansion of the fires. Budget cuts impacted core operations, including “technology and communication infrastructure, payroll processing, training, fire prevention, and community education,” as explained in a memo released by the fire department. Through organizations such as the California Fire Foundation, the public is able to donate to disaster relief and support firefighters as well as families that lost loved ones while combating the flames. So, despite the charity provided by outsiders, without proper attention from the state government, the LA firefighters were unable to complete their jobs effectively.
In addition to the misallocation of funds, there was blatant carelessness in that many fire hydrants across the area lacked proper water pressure when they needed to be utilized. All three 1-million-gallon water tanks in the Pacific Palisades area ran dry by around 3 a.m., a time at which there was zero containment of the fires. The California State Water Resources Control Board was responsible for the upkeep of the water pressure within these hydrants yet failed in keeping it at a level strong enough to be utilized during the fires. The water demand continued to increase through the night, yet there were no further actions that could be taken if the supplies simply were inaccessible at that point. In recognizing the immense error in their ways and the destruction it caused, the California Public Utilities Commission has now approved a $450 million increase in water system investments in order to prevent similar catastrophes in the future.
The preventable governmental failures cost more than two dozen lives and thousands of homes across the area. These restrictive regulations made the immense devastation what it was, as without these decisions, there could have been greater support to gain control of the wildfires before they caused this level of destruction. After the commencement of the fires, President Donald Trump issued an executive order to override California’s water management practices if found to be ineffective. This order would aim to increase water resources and take emergency measures to ensure sufficient water in Southern California to combat wildfires in the future. However, it was unclear if the changes listed in the order would in fact aid the firefighting processes in California.
In addition to this action from the president, the federal agencies got involved in disaster relief, with FEMA authorizing a Fire Management Assistance Grant and later a Major Disaster Declaration to make individual assistance available to impacted citizens. However, despite the monetary aid, FEMA only made a maximum one-time payment of $770 to families in need. Although they claimed that additional loans and assistance could be provided to those impacted by the fires, this was not covered under the fire management grant. Being barely enough to cover days’ worth of expenses for a familial unit, many continued to struggle after having to go through the lengthy application process to even receive such assistance. Along with the tedious process of getting approved for financial relief, President Trump has gone to the lengths of proposing an abolishment of FEMA altogether. Though the federal aid received from such is nominal, eliminating aid entirely only continues to worsen the financial states of victims. Residents already have become stranded with their delayed economic assistance, and if FEMA is in fact terminated, this fiscal burden would only be exacerbated.
California Governor Gavin Newsom requested $40 billion in federal aid to help rebuild the lives of thousands of his constituents. This funding would be used to rebuild homes and infrastructure as well as the businesses, schools, and healthcare facilities lost in the fires, while supplementally supporting the citizens impacted as well. Many were hopeful with $9.9 billion of this request being devoted to fire victims; however, California has been unable to receive the money, as the Trump administration developed a strings-attached declaration in order to receive the federal aid. One of these possible conditions included defunding the California Coastal Commission, since President Trump sees this agency as overly restrictive and bureaucratic, which would hinder rebuilding efforts. Without a resolution, residents still are living in limbo, unclear of what their future holds.
Lives were lost. Homes were torn down. Businesses burned to the ground. Each person in the Pacific Palisades was impacted in varying ways by the devastating wildfires. In addition to the continuing economic struggle after many lost their jobs and the lives they had built for themselves, families lost their cherished memories with each memento that was submerged in flames in January. Through social media, a common public perception has emerged that a well-known affluent area of Pacific Palisades implies its residents do not need assistance in rebuilding their lives. This notion is not only untrue but diminishes the emotional and mental damage that the fires caused. The fires impacted the wealthy, the middle class, and working-class families, many of whom still face financial ruin because of it. As they continue to struggle to secure aid during political debates over who is responsible for covering damages, people deserve empathy for the immense losses they face.
The state and federal governments cannot continue to make these same errors at the cost of lives, and there needs to be a fundamental shift in preparation and response for wildfires. There must be restoration of fire department funding, investment in infrastructure for proper water pressure, and a bipartisan relief system that is for the people. This means that there is no political divide in ensuring citizens are supplied with the proper resources and financial compensation to help recover and develop a new life after the fires. From rebuilding and finding homes to support while out of a job, though the emotional damage may never be mended, an economic rebound is possible.
The Pacific Palisades Fire was not inevitable; it was preventable. The policy failures and misallocation of funds led to the catastrophe it became. For the families that lost their livelihoods, they deserve better, and for all citizens of California, no other future fire should cause the same damages as this January’s fires. Both prevention and relief systems should be a priority, not an afterthought. This cycle of devastation caused by California fires will remain until a serious change is made.