Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley told board members two years ago that her department would clear brush, maintain wildfire lines and shore up a part-time team made up mostly of young volunteers. We warned that we needed to create a full crew of dedicated staff.
But despite her pleas for funding, the city council granted only a fraction of it, and the hire was caught in La Breissy's red tape. new report.
Some residents are suing the government for alleged mistakes that played a role in spreading devastating wildfires this month, but residents have little recourse beyond electing new city leaders. Leveled the community.
“It's a political disaster and the bass could be recalled,” said Neema Rahmani, a Los Angeles-based attorney who is representing several local clients in lawsuits in the aftermath of the destruction. He talked about Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass. “But there's nothing you can legally do.”
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Department of Corrections hand crews seal containment lines ahead of the Palisade Fire on January 14, 2025 in Santa Monica, California. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
Despite the missed warning, city leaders are likely immune from civil lawsuits under state law that protects officials from liability, Rahmani said.
“Government agencies have broad immunity under government law and cannot be sued for failing to prevent fires,” he told Fox News Digital. “The lawsuit against the city and DWP is dismissed.”
The chief's memo, written in January 2023, was first reported by The Washington Post.
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“One of the key areas of weakness in our arsenal is in the area of regularly deployed Wildland Hand crews,” Crowley said of the Los Angeles Fire Commission's call for a staff of experts to assist Los Angeles. I wrote a letter to the Fire Commission. The city relied on mutual aid from the state and county, both of which had staffing shortages and volunteer “cadet crews” made up of teens and young adults led primarily by active firefighters. There was a staff member.
Firefighters battle the Palisade fire in Mandeville Canyon on January 11, 2025 in Los Angeles. (Jae C. Hong/AP)
“Wildland Hand Crew is a make-or-break resource to ensure the line of fire is strong and safe,” she added. “This resource was systematically created and is not supported [a] wild fire fire line, line weakening [difference] Containment or uncontrollable spread. ”
Crowley also warned that Santa Ana winds and climate change are among the factors that have “dramatically increased” the threat of wildfires in Los Angeles in recent decades.
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The cadet crew meets twice a week with 10 to 26 people to work on labor-intensive projects like clearing brush. The program was designed to train future firefighters and as a result suffered high turnover as members were hired by the department and transferred to other units, Crowley wrote.
Department of Corrections Hand Crew Member posted in Santa Monica, California on January 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
“LAFD will need to expand staffing to meet the demands of a new normal yearlong fire season and the rapidly declining potential of mutual aid/motor vehicle assistance hand crews,” she said. I am writing.
She urged the board to create two new hand crews staffed with a handful of firefighters and dozens of paid firefighter auxiliaries to cover the city seven days a week. She asked for $7 million to get it done. Nearly $4 million was left in salaries, and the rest was carried by a fleet of vehicles to transport them across rugged terrain to the front lines.
Some money has been approved and hiring is underway, but the crew is reportedly not operational yet.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass issues a press conference during a visit to the FEMA Disaster Recovery Center on January 14, 2025. (Reuters/Daniel Cole)
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The fire department did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
While city officials may be safe from legal repercussions, separate lawsuits against insurance companies and those who may be responsible for igniting the wildfires remain on the table, Rahmani said. .
“The only real viable case is against Edison,” he told Fox News Digital.
A building is on fire on Sunset Boulevard in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles on January 8, 2025. (APU Gomes/Getty Images)
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Utility company Southern California Edison faces some lawsuits That equipment is alleged to have helped start the Eaton Fire, which scorched northern Los Angeles County, including Altadena. Rahmani's firm is involved in lawsuits against utilities, representing victims with insurance claims and seeking assistance from government programs, he said.
The Palisades Fire, which tore through the Pacific Palisades community, is said to be the most destructive wildfire in Los Angeles history.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
