Los Angeles mayor under fire for response to fatal wildfires

As thousands of firefighters battle the raging wildfires in Los Angeles county, politically-motivated finger-pointing has set in. More than 110,000 signatures have been gathered demanding the resignation of Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass. Started by a user identified as 'Frustrated Californian', the petition posted on Change.org accuses Bass of "gross mismanagement" and a lack of leadership during the crisis.

The petition points to Bass' diplomatic trip to Ghana, which took her out of the country when the fires erupted on 7 January. It also criticises the city's preparation and resource allocation, including water shortages and underfunding of critical resources.

Los Angeles fire department (LAFD) chief Kristin Crowley — who unconfirmed reports suggest has been sacked by the mayor — blasted the $17-million budget cut on CNN on Friday, saying she had warned the city for three years that the department has been underfunded and under-resourced.

However, Bass countered these claims, arguing that under her administration, the fire department's budget was actually increased by 7 per cent overall, Xinhua news agency reported. City administrative officer Matt Szabo supported Bass' stance, saying emergency resources remained fully-funded despite cuts in other areas.

The Los Angeles Times said on Sunday that the claim was not so fair to the Democratic mayor, since the municipal budget has been overwhelmed by a growing number of demands for public health, social services, housing crisis, drought, earthquakes, wildfires and more, causing greater demand for fewer resources.

To prioritise necessary increases in firefighter salaries, Bass had initially proposed a 2.7-per cent reduction ($23 million) in the LAFD budget for 2024-25, primarily by putting a cap on some new equipment purchases. But Bass and the city council subsequently went on to approve significant firefighter pay increases amounting to $53 million and an additional $58 million for new firetrucks and equipment, all of which amounted to an LAFD budget increase of over 7 per cent.

Despite an overall budget increase, a few areas in the department faced cutbacks while others went up. According to Crowley, there was a reduction of $7 million in overtime staffing, or "v-hours", which affected radio testing, pilot training, and brush clearance inspections, essential for mitigating fire risks.

However, escalating costs, including overtime pay and pension contributions, have strained the city's finances. Critics worried that employee raises, while necessary, may force further operational cutbacks. Watchdog groups and fire department representatives warned of a worsening budget crunch, especially as emergencies demand additional resources.

The ongoing wildfires, particularly the Pacific Palisades and Eaton fires, are intensifying scrutiny of the city's emergency preparedness. The unprecedented wildfire outbreak highlighted vulnerabilities in Los Angeles city and county water infrastructure, as firefighting efforts were hindered by low water pressure and dry fire hydrants caused by the unusual need to use too many fire hydrants at once to combat multiple fires.

Martin Adams, a former manager of the Los Angeles department of water and power (DWP), emphasised that the local water systems were not designed to support such massive and unusual wildfire responses, raising questions about what future investments might be needed in water infrastructure.

Since 71-year-old Bass has only been in office for two years, critics were also quick to blame prior administrations for decades of insufficient investment in fire and water infrastructure and for failing to adapt systems to escalating climate risks. Some local officials are calling for a commission of inquiry to recommend urgent upgrades to water infrastructure and building codes for fire-prone areas.

In response to the water system failures, California governor Gavin Newsom ordered an investigation into the causes of hydrant shortages and infrastructure gaps. Experts suggested that improving water storage and pressure zones in hillside communities could mitigate future wildfire risks, though such investments would require significant funding.

Others argued that even expanded infrastructure might not suffice against fires of the scale and intensity currently on view. "Mother Nature is not to be trifled with," Los Angeles resident Cyndy P. told Xinhua on Sunday. "Let's not kid ourselves, we are reaching the perfect storm in LA of over-building, drought, budget crunches and infrastructure inadequacies where no amount of money you throw at the problem is going to be able to handle an environment that is careening out of control from global warming."

Meanwhile, as firefighters continue to battle the devastating wildfires, winds are expected to intensify in the coming days, potentially further complicating rescue efforts. According to local officials, gusty winds and persistently dry weather are increasing extreme fire threats in the region.

Northeast wind gusts surpassed 50 miles (about 80 km) per hour on Sunday, and the strong Santa Ana winds are also forecast to pick up in the coming days. These winds, combined with low humidity and extremely dry vegetation, will keep the fire threat in Los Angeles county at a "very high" level, Los Angeles county fire chief Anthony Marrone said.

Three active wildfires are still ravaging Los Angeles county, scorching nearly 40,300 acres (about 163 sq. km), according to the California department of forestry and fire protection (CAL FIRE). The death toll from the fires has risen to 24 as of Sunday, with eight resulting from the Palisades fire and 16 from the Eaton fire.

The two largest fires have been 11 per cent and 27 per cent contained, respectively, according to CAL FIRE, Xinhua news agency reported.

More than 12,300 structures have been destroyed, and over 100,000 people have been evacuated from multiple disaster zones. Governor Gavin Newsom deployed an additional 1,000 members of the California National Guard to Los Angeles on Sunday, bringing the total number of CalGuard service members in the region to about 2,500, according to the governor's office.

CalGuard personnel are supporting wildfire suppression efforts, stationed at traffic control points and providing protection in some burn zones. At least 29 people have been arrested, many for looting, since the wildfires broke out last week, according to Los Angeles county sheriff Robert Luna. A night-time curfew between 6.00 pm and 6.00 am is in place across the disaster zones around Pacific Palisades and Altadena, areas worst hit by the fires.

With IANS inputs