Concerning Circumstances Surrounding Cali’s Fires

A memo reveals that Los Angeles (LA) Mayor Karen Bass demanded the fire department cut $48.8 million from their budget days before the fires broke out!

LA Fire Chief Kristin Crowley warned Mayor Karen Bass last month the $17 million she cut from the department’s budget “severely limited the department’s capacity to prepare for, train for, and respond to large-scale emergencies, including wildfires.”

Additional cuts were requested mere days before the fires broke out. These cuts would have shut down 16 fire stations and debilitated the department’s ability to respond to emergencies, according to several sources.

Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Fire Department reportedly canceled their annual fire hydrant testing a few weeks ago citing “fiscal challenges.” Funny, because they LAFD has enough money for a DEI Bureau and DEI chief but not essential training?

LA Mayor Karen Bass requested the Fire Department slash nearly $49 million from their budget whilst last year, CA Governor Gavin Newsom cut the Fire budget by $100 million!

In addition to the misdirected policies of these leaders, it has also been revealed that a large reservoir in Pacific Palisades was offline and had been emptied when the firestorm hit. The reason given for its closure was for repairs.

According to govsalaries.com, the “Highest salary at Los Angeles Department of Water and Power in year 2023 was $814,102” with the average annual salary being $173,698. Shockingly, employees at the LA Department of Water and Power have wages that are “271 percent higher than USA average.”

In a disturbing twist of events, LA County apparently lost control of their emergency alert system as it began sending out false evacuation orders and alerts.

You can’t make this stuff up.

On December 4, 2024, LA Fire Chief Crowley wrote a memo which highlighted a $7 million reduction in “overtime variable staffing hours” and how that reduction “adversely affected the Department’s ability to maintain core operations, such as … training, fire prevention, and community education.”

Flames have destroyed thousands of structures from family homes to churches, causing an estimated $49billion worth of damage thus far in communities from the Pacific Coast to Pasadena.

The arsonist who was arrested for allegedly starting the Kenneth Fire, which has burned 800+ acres of Los Angeles.

As believers, we are called to “rejoice with those who do rejoice and mourn with those who mourn.” Romans 12:15

And right now, there’s a lot of hurting and in need of support and encouragement.

We can pray for those affected by the California fires by lifting up those who have lost homes, loved ones, or possessions, asking for God’s comfort, provision, and protection. Prayers for first responders, emergency workers, and communities to find strength and resilience in the face of devastation are also important. In addition to prayer, Christians can support those in need through donations, volunteering with relief organizations, and offering resources to help rebuild affected communities. Both prayer and action demonstrate love and compassion for those enduring such hardship.

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