The definitive reason behind the catastrophic wildfires in Los Angeles, exacerbated by intense winds and arid conditions, remains to be established.
However, as the infernos continue unabated, who is being held responsible for the calamity that has resulted in the destruction of hundreds of residences and a toll of at least 16 lives?
President-elect Donald Trump was swift to assign blame to Joe Biden and California Governor Gavin Newsom – a Democrat whom he derogatorily labels as “Gavin Newscum”.
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He criticized the prioritization of water conservation, arguing it resulted in hydrants being devoid of water in certain regions of Los Angeles.
“It’s a significant error on the part of the governor, and you can attribute it to the administration,” he stated.
“They lack sufficient water. The fire hydrants were empty.
“The governor’s performance has been inadequate.”
A resident confronts Newsom
Though he refrained from explicitly naming Mr. Trump, Mr. Biden addressed the accusation during a White House briefing, redirecting the inquiry to his deputy energy secretary David Turk.
He clarified why the power lines were deactivated amidst the fire and how this affected the hydrants, attributing it to issues of power and pressure.
Hydrants require power for water to be pumped, he elaborated, but during emergencies, power lines are switched off to mitigate the risk of surging currents and outages.
Mr. Trump went to the extent of labeling the leadership of Mr. Newsom and LA Mayor Karen Bass as “gross incompetence,” holding them accountable for the “total devastation” in Los Angeles.
Mr. Newsom, who has also faced criticism from local residents impacted by the catastrophic wildfires, has extended an invitation to Mr. Trump to survey the affected areas and meet with residents.
LA Mayor Karen Bass addresses the media
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In a letter, he stated: “In the spirit of this great nation, we must avoid politicizing human misfortune or disseminating disinformation from the sidelines.”
He has also requested an independent inquiry into the challenges surrounding water pressure and supply, emphasizing “we require answers to prevent a recurrence of this incident.”
Over 90,000 individuals have signed an online petition demanding the resignation of Ms. Bass, accusing her of a “failure” to adequately respond to the city’s ongoing fires.
Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Kristin Crowley. File photo: AP
The mayor of the city, who was abroad in Ghana when the fires erupted, is additionally under intense scrutiny for implementing $17.8 million (£14.5 million) in budget cuts to the Los Angeles Fire Department.
Fire Chief Kristin Crowley indicated these reductions have “negatively impacted” her unit’s capacity to combat the fires.
She expressed to CNN, “the fire department requires assistance,” citing insufficient personnel and fire stations, and when questioned by KTTV regarding whether the city had let down the LAFD, she replied, “yes.”
Ms. Bass has refuted the claim that these budget cuts influenced firefighting operations during the current crisis, seeking to mitigate rising tensions amid speculation that Ms. Crowley would be dismissed.
“The fire chief and I are concentrated on extinguishing these fires and safeguarding lives, and any disagreements we might have will be resolved privately,” Ms. Bass stated during a news conference.
Ms. Crowley, a member of the LGBTQ+ community and the city’s first female fire chief, has also found herself ensnared in the national political discourse, with conservatives asserting that diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives have been excessive within U.S. organizations.
She has prioritized the diversification of the historically male-dominated department; however, no evidence suggests her initiatives have hindered the firefighting efforts.
