A desperate mother in Los Angeles confronted California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday about wildfires raging in the city, why fire hydrants were empty and how to repair communities reduced to ashes. I asked for answers as to what I was going to do.
Rachel Darvish, a Pacific Palisades resident, is struggling to find relief after several fires wreaked havoc on the once picturesque neighborhood known for its charming homes and sweeping coastline views. The governor, who was monitoring the department, was about to get into a black SUV when it ran toward him.
“Governor! I live here, Governor! That was my daughter's school, what are you going to do?” Darvish, wearing an industrial-style white mask, can be seen saying in a video captured by Sky News: “Governor! I live here, Governor! That was my daughter's school. said.
Los Angeles residents confronted California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday about wildfires raging in the city, asking why fire hydrants were empty and what will be done to repair communities reduced to ashes. I asked for an answer as to whether he intended to do so. (JOSH EDELSON/AFP via Getty Images, left, Sky News, top right, Eric Thayer/Getty Images, bottom right)
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Afterwards, a soft-spoken Newsom said he and President Biden were “literally talking to the president” to find out what they could do for Darvish and his daughter.
“Can you hear me? Can I hear you calling? Because I can't believe it!” Darvish said, waving his hands in deep disbelief.
“I've tried five times. That's why I'm walking around and making calls,” Newsom said, adding that he was trying to contact Biden because he had no cell phone reception.
“I'm shocked by you and especially sorry for your daughter,” Newsom apologized.
Darvish offered to use cell phone service together, pointing out that kids at local schools had lost everything and wanted to be there when Newsom contacted Biden. She demanded answers as to why there wasn't enough water in the fire hydrant to put out the deadly blaze.
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“Why wasn't there water in the hydrants, Governor? Will it be different next time?” she asked.
“We have to, of course we have to,” Newsom responded.
“what are you going to do?”
“We're doing everything we can,” the governor said. “I'll do whatever I can.”
“Fill the hydrants. I'll personally refill them. You know that,” Darvish said, before asking, “I'll refill the hydrants myself. Can you do that?” Ta.
Newsom said he would “do whatever it takes,” to which Darvish retorted, “But you're not!”
California Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass tour the Pacific Palisades downtown business district on January 8, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Eric Thayer/Getty Images)
Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass have faced harsh criticism for the city's lack of preparedness and inability to stop the fire from spreading.
Newsom met with Biden on Wednesday and was briefed on the multiple infernos raging across California. The president approved a major disaster declaration for the Golden State and announced Thursday that the federal government will pay “100%” of wildfire-related disaster response costs for 180 days.
Darvish appeared on “Jesse Watters Prime Time” later Thursday and revealed that it appeared Newsom did indeed try to call the president.
Firefighters work at the scene of a wildfire in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, California, on January 7, 2025. (Qian Weizhong/VCG, via Getty Images)
“I looked at the call log. I could see that it wasn't the first number, but I'm sure he was trying to call. So I know for sure he was trying to call. I also saw the White House number.
Still, she questioned why the governor was relying on network broadcasts in the midst of a state of emergency.
“I'm sure there was no cell phone reception in certain areas, but that's a big problem in itself. Why doesn't he have a satellite truck with cell phones?” Darvish said while riding in the satellite truck. he said, noting that he had conducted an interview with Watters.
Darvish said it's time for Californians to elect leaders who are up to the job, rather than voting along party lines.
“You know, they stick to their jobs. And I think… it's time to do something new. It doesn't have to be R, it doesn't have to be D. Why can't it be someone who knows what they're doing, who knows how to plan, that's what we do? That's all there is to it. ”
She said she felt abandoned by the city and no one came to help her as the scorching flames approached her home.
A fire destroyed a restaurant in Pacific Palisades on Tuesday. (Michael Ho Wai Lee/Sipa, via AP)
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“This is the last time [fire] It was very strange that I didn't see a single one – I didn't see a single fire truck, I didn't see a single person approach me in an official capacity. I didn't see it say, “We're here to help you.” I have to leave.
I left the house after receiving a call about the fire, but the fire started right away, so I packed up my things and left. On the way down, I didn't see any fire trucks coming to help. ”
She added that it's not the firefighters' fault, but because the orders are “coming from above.”
FOX News' Ashley Carnahan contributed to this report.
