A Los Angeles-area teacher whose home was destroyed in a devastating wildfire on Friday accused California Gov. Gavin Newsom of being a “selfish narcissist” for failing to prepare for the fires.
Epi Cruz, 53, a father of three girls ages 8, 11 and 13, lost his $800,000 home in Altadena to the ground on Jan. 8 when the Eaton Fire swept through his neighborhood. He told the Post that he witnessed it.
“When I pulled up, the house was on fire,” he said.
“The house behind me was on fire, the houses on either side of me were on fire,” he said.
“That's when I realized there was nothing I could do.”
He said his children lost “all their toys” and his wife's wedding ring and his grandmother's precious wedding dress were reduced to ashes.
“My wife is really upset about that. It really, really affected her because it's something that she cherished and her grandma passed away during the coronavirus. ” he said.
“Everything just melted away.”
Mr. Cruz is now furious that Los Angeles County and the state of California were unprepared to fight wildfires.
“Newsom is terrible, I can't stand that guy. He's a selfish narcissist. There's no tax he doesn't like,” he said.
“Newsom is disconnected from everyday life in California,” he says.
“Newsom didn't know there was going to be a fire, and neither did anyone, but we should have been better prepared.”
He did not specifically address what Newsom or other elected officials could have done to prepare for the fires.
Cruz's family was ultimately forced to stay with a friend near Long Beach, and they hope to rent an apartment in the area until they can rebuild their home.
“We accept anything, apartments or townhomes,” he said.
“We don't need anything fancy. Two bedrooms is fine. It works. The girls are in one room, my wife and I are in the other.”
He said the girls will likely need therapy to help them cope with the loss of their homes and possessions.
“They're distracted, but they're going to need counseling at some point. They know they're homeless, but I don't think the real impact has hit them yet,” he said. added.
