[Karah Rucker]

MULTIPLE WILDFIRES CONTINUE TO TEAR THROUGH THE HEART OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA.

THE BLAZE HAS FORCED MORE THAN 45 THOUSAND PEOPLE TO EVACUATE THEIR HOMES. THE “PACIFIC PALiSADES FIRE” HAS KILLED AT LEAST TWO PEOPLE AND CONSUMED MORE THAN ONE THOUSAND STRUCTURES – WITH ZERO PERCENT CONTAINMENT AS OF WEDNESDAY MORNING.

AS FIRE FIGHTERS CONTINUE TO STRUGGLE WITH LIMITED RESOURCES, INCLUDING EMPTY HYDRANTS AMID A WATER SHORTAGE –

IT’S LOCAL AND STATE OFFICIALS WHO ARE TAKING SOME HEAT FROM RESIDENTS, PEOPLE ONLINE, AND THE PRESIDENT-ELECT.

LOS ANGELES MAYOR KAREN BASS IS FACING CRITICISM FOR BEING OUT OF THE COUNTRY DURING A CRITICAL TIME.

BASS WAS IN GHANA, AS PART OF A U.S. DELEGATION FOR THE INAUGURATION OF GHANA’S PRESIDENT.

BASS STILL DECLARED A LOCAL STATE OF EMERGENCY IN LOS ANGELES TUESDAY AND ASSURED THE PUBLIC THAT THE CITY WAS AGGRESSIVELY ADDRESSING THE FIRES, BUT SOME HAVE CRITICIZED HER PHYSICAL ABSENCE – INCLUDING ELON MUSK CALLING HER QUOTE “UTTERLY INCOMPETENT.”

AND DEVELOPER RICK CARUSO WHO OWNS THE PALISADES VILLAGE SHOPPING CENTER IN THE AREA WENT AFTER  BASS FOR HER TRIP AWAY DURING THE CITY’S TURMOIL.

TELLING LOCAL NEWS – “THIS IS LIKE A THIRD WORLD COUNTRY… THERE IS NO WATER COMING OUT OF THE FIRE HYDRANTS. LA MAYOR KAREN BASS IS ON A FOREIGN TRIP TO GHANA. THE FIREFIGHTERS ARE THERE, AND THERE’S NOTHING THEY CAN DO. IT SHOULD NEVER HAPPEN.”

ADDITIONALLY, BASS IS UNDER FIRE FOR CUTTING THE LOS ANGELES FIRE DEPARTMENT’S BUDGET BY $17.6 MILLION IN THE 2024-2025 FISCAL YEAR. THIS REDUCTION COMES AT A TIME OF CONCERN OVER THE CITY’S PREPAREDNESS WITH REPORTS OF WATER RESOURCES RUNNING DRY

THE LOS ANGELES TIMES REPORTED FIREFIGHTERS RADIOING EACH OTHER IN ACTIVE FIRE ZONES SAYING “FIRE HYDRANTS WERE DOWN” AND “WATER SUPPLY HAS DROPPED.”

THEY REPORT THE CITY WATER AND POWER DEPARTMENT ACKNOWLEDGED THE DIMINISHED FLOW BUT COULDN’T ANSWER HOW MANY HYDRANTS WERE AFFECTED OR WHY IT WAS HAPPENING.

PRESIDENT-ELECT DONALD TRUMP – WEIGHING IN ON THE LACK OF WATER DURING CALIFORNIA’S NOW STATE OF EMERGENCY – TAKING AIM AT GOVERNOR GAVIN NEWSOM.

TRUMP POSTED –

Governor Gavin Newscum refused to sign the water restoration declaration put before him that would have allowed millions of gallons of water, from excess rain and snow melt from the North, to flow daily into many parts of California, including the areas that are currently burning in a virtually apocalyptic way. He wanted to protect an essentially worthless fish…

Now the ultimate price is being paid. I will demand that this incompetent governor allow beautiful, clean, fresh water to FLOW INTO CALIFORNIA! He is the blame for this.”

THE BATTLE BETWEEN THE TWO OVER CALIFORNIA FIRES, DEFORESTATION, AND WATER SUPPLY WERE  ALL ISSUES OF TRUMP’S FIRST TERM AS WELL.

NEWSOM FILED LAWSUIT TO STOP A TRUMP ORDER IN 2020 THAT WOULD HAVE REDIRECTED WATER SUPPLY TO MAINLY FARMERS.

NEWSOM ARGUED THE ORDER WOULD CAUSE HARM TO ENDANGERED FISH SPECIES.

NEWSOM HAS BEEN ON THE GROUND IN ACTIVE WILDFIRE ZONES –

ASSURING RESIDENTS OF THE EFFORTS BY THE STATE TO WORK TO CONTAIN THE BLAZE.

[California Gov. Gavin Newsom, D]

“hundreds of personnel are here, we’ve prepositioned 110 engines, we’ve got fix winged aircraft, helicopters, dozers, water tenders, specialty personnel, putting everything we can into not only suppressing this fire but preventing additional fires over the course of the next few days.”  

ISSUES OVER WATER HYDRANT FAILURES ARE NOT NEW FOR THE STATE.

THE LOS ANGELES TIMES REPORTED WATER SUPPLY FAILURES COMPLICATED EFFORTS TO COMBAT THE MOUNTAIN FIRE IN VENTURA COUNTY THAT BURNED IN NOVEMBER.

INACTIVE WATER PUMPS DELAYED WATER DELIVERIES TO THE AREAS BURNING.

THE PALISADES FIRE HITS CALIFORNIA OUTSIDE OF ITS TYPICAL WILDFIRE SEASON –

AND AS OF THIS RECORDING – WAS STILL ZERO PERCENT CONTAINED.

THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE IS ALSO UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME.

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