Los Angeles — Questions are mounting concerning why lots of of Los Angeles Fire Department personnel have been initially held again from racing to the scene of the Palisades Fire when it first broke out final week in L.A.’s Pacific Palisades neighborhood.
CBS News has confirmed that as the Palisades Fire started at about 10:30 a.m. on Jan. 7, solely 19 fireplace engines have been pre-deployed to the world.
But it is unclear what number of, if any, have been despatched to the primary neighborhood that caught fireplace. For the primary 4 hours {that a} CBS News crew was on scene whereas flames torched houses, crew members didn’t see any LAFD firefighters within the fast space.
“We will get you the quantity, as to the place, I feel it is vital that we discuss concerning the pre-deployment aspect,” LAFD Chief Kristin Crowley informed CBS News on Wednesday when requested what number of personnel have been battling the blaze in its early hours.
Crowley first blamed budget cuts for the dearth of assets. But as many as 1,000 LAFD firefighters weren’t initially activated, in keeping with the Los Angeles Times. Some weren’t requested to remain previous their shifts, and others have been assigned to non-fire-related 911 calls, officers confirmed.
It could be one other eight hours earlier than LAFD sent out an urgent message for all off-duty personnel to name in with their availability. It even requested that CBS News Los Angeles situation the identical message on-air.
Both Crowley and L.A. County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone say the intense Santa Ana winds overwhelmed them. The wildfires have burned greater than 60 sq. miles, killed at the least 25 individuals and destroyed greater than 12,000 constructions.
ETIENNE LAURENT/AFP by way of Getty Images
Devastation like this might grow to be the brand new regular due to climate change.
“It’s the actions that we take previous to that wind occasion ever beginning which can be gonna take advantage of distinction, as a result of all of us notice there’s not sufficient fireplace vehicles, there’s not sufficient firefighters, to extinguish that fast-moving, wind-driven neighborhood conflagration that we noticed on Tuesday,” Marrone informed CBS News.
The firefight begins “lengthy earlier than” the flames arrive, Marrone mentioned, including that “we have to be held accountable.”
