LA Fire Officials Did Not Deploy Engines During Palisades Fire Crisis

A report reveals LA fire bosses delayed deploying resources during the Palisades Fire, worsening the situation

LA Fire Officials Did Not Deploy Engines During Palisades Fire Crisis
LA Fire Officials Did Not Deploy Engines During Palisades Fire Crisis

Los Angeles: So, it turns out that when the Palisades Fire broke out, the fire department had a ton of resources just sitting there. They had over 1,000 firefighters and more than 40 engines ready to go, but they didn’t deploy them until things got really out of hand. A recent report shows that even with warnings about dangerous winds, officials held back on sending help.

Instead of keeping extra crews on duty, they only had five engines staffed when the fire started. It’s pretty wild that they had engines ready in other areas but not in the Palisades. By the time they finally sent in more resources, the fire was already raging.

A former fire chief pointed out that they should have acted sooner. He said if they had deployed those engines right away, they might have been able to control the fire better. It’s all about minimizing damage from the start. But the Deputy Chief defended their actions, saying they were trying to manage resources for the whole city, not just one fire.

Fire Chief Kristin Crowley backed up the plan too, saying they had to be strategic with their limited resources, especially since 911 calls had doubled that day. But it’s hard to ignore that budget cuts had hit the fire department hard, with millions slashed just before the fires started.

To make matters worse, firefighters faced issues with local hydrants running dry due to low water pressure. And the Santa Ynez Reservoir, which could have helped, was empty and under repair when the fire broke out. The Palisades Fire has been devastating, leading to multiple fatalities and widespread destruction, with containment still only at 18% as of Tuesday.

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