Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass demanded an additional $49 million in budget cuts to the already cash-strapped Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) just days before wildfires ravaged the city.
This ill-timed decision, revealed in a leaked internal memo obtained by the Daily Mail, has sparked outrage among current and former fire officials who say the move left the department woefully unprepared for disaster.
The memo, dated January 6—merely a day before the Palisades Fire ravaged the region—proposed shutting down 16 fire stations across the city, slashing resources critical for combating wildfires and responding to emergencies.
In California, wildfire alerts are issued through a combination of state and local systems designed to provide timely warnings to residents. These alerts are typically disseminated as soon as a wildfire is detected or even one week prior when conditions indicate an imminent threat, allowing residents to evacuate promptly and safely.
So, there’s a chance that Bass was already aware of the wildfire warning, yet she still insisted on cutting the budget. To make matters worse, she chose to travel to Africa during this critical time.
According to the memo:
“The LAFD is still going through a FY 2024/2025 $48.8 million budget reduction exercise