01a Apocalyptic

Billionaire couple faces criticism over water control during Los Angeles wildfires – Yeni Şafak English
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Stewart and Lynda Resnick, a billionaire couple who own around 60% of an important California water resource, have come under intense criticism for using more water than every home in Los Angeles combined, with critics arguing that their actions may be hindering efforts to contain the city’s ongoing wildfires.

The Resnicks, California’s wealthiest farming family, with a $13 billion fortune, have come under renewed criticism for their alleged overuse of water during Los Angeles’ worst wildfires in history, according to the UK’s Daily Mail.

The controversy traces back to 1994, when their advisors played a key role in the Monterey Plus Agreement, a deal that transferred the taxpayer-funded Kern Water Bank from public ownership to private control.

Originally designed to ensure a stable water supply during droughts, the bank is now seen as a tool benefiting private interests.

Bombshell Memo Spells Disaster for Karen Bass Amid California Wildfires – PJ Media– pjmedia.com
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Over the past week, the raging wildfires in Los Angeles County have laid bare the ineptitude and misguided priorities of leadership at every level from the state to local government. Scrutiny of Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has particularly intensified, and for good reason. For starters, she was in Ghana as the fires broke out, despite a pledge not to travel abroad. The optics were horrible, but the real scandal dates back at least two months.

In November, LAFD Chief Kristin Crowley sent a memo warning of severe staffing shortages and training gaps. The department was dangerously undermanned, yet the mayor’s office reportedly ignored or even buried the warning.

“Los Angeles fire chief Kristin Crowley warned city officials in November that her department had about half as many firefighters as it needed,” reports the Washington Free Beacon. “When deadly wildfires struck the city two months later, Mayor Karen Bass’s administration pulled Crowley’s memo from its website.”

The report reveals that on November 18, Crowley wrote to the city’s fire commissioners — a five-member board appointed by Bass — urging them to relay her concerns to Bass and the city council. She highlighted that the fire department’s staffing levels had remained stagnant for decades, even as the city’s population grew significantly.

Death toll from Palisades and Eaton fires climbs to 25. What we know about those killed – Los Angeles Times
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The number of confirmed deaths from the devastating Palisades and Eaton fires climbed to 25 as of Tuesday night.

Nine of the victims died in the Palisades fire and 16 in the Eaton fire in Altadena, according to the Los Angeles County medical examiner and L.A. County Sheriff Robert Luna.

Two of the victims have been officially identified by the medical examiner, and The Times has identified 12 others.

Victor Shaw, 66, died from smoke inhalation and burn injuries at his Altadena home, according to thyes, e medical examiner. Charles Mortimer, 84, of Pacific Palisades died in a hospital from a heart attack, smoke inhalation and burns, according to the medical examiner.

Additional Palisades fire victims include avid hang-glider Arthur Simoneau, 69; Australian child actor Rory Sykes, 32; Malibu surfer Randall Miod, 55; and Annette Rossilli, who was in her 80s.

Additional Eaton fire victims include Erliene Kelley, 83; father and son Anthony Mitchell Sr. and Justin Mitchell; Dalyce Curry, 95; Kim Winiecki, 77; Rodney Kent Nickerson, 82; Zhi Feng Zhao, 84; and Evelyn McClendon.

Fire tornadoes are a risk under California’s extreme wildfire conditions – The Associated Press
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As if they aren’t already facing enough, firefighters in California also could encounter fire tornadoes — a rare but dangerous phenomenon in which wildfires create their own weather.

The National Weather Service warned Tuesday that the combination of high winds and severely dry conditions have created a “particularly dangerous situation” in which any new fire could explode in size. The advisory, which runs into Wednesday, didn’t mention tornadoes, but meteorologist Todd Hall said they’re possible given the extreme conditions.

24 dead as fire crews try to corral Los Angeles blazes before winds return this week– japantoday.com
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Firefighters scrambled Sunday to make further progress against wildfires that have destroyed thousands of homes and killed 24 people in the Los Angeles area as forecasters again warned of dangerous weather with the return of strong winds this week. At least 16 people were missing, and authorities said that number was expected to rise.

The National Weather Service issued red flag warnings for severe fire conditions through Wednesday, with sustained winds of 50 mph (80 kph) and gusts in the mountains reaching 70 mph (113 kph). The most dangerous day will be Tuesday, said weather service meteorologist Rich Thompson.

“You’re going to have really strong gusty Santa Ana winds, a very dry atmosphere and still very dry brush, so we still have some very critical fire weather conditions out there,” Thompson said at a community meeting Saturday night.

Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony C. Marrone said 70 additional water trucks arrived to help firefighters fend off flames spread by renewed gusts. “We are prepared for the upcoming wind event,” Marrone said. Fire retardant dropped by aircraft Sunday will act as a barrier along hillsides, officials said.

Fierce Santa Anas have been largely blamed for turning the wildfires sparked last week into infernos that leveled entire neighborhoods around the city where there has been no significant rainfall in more than eight months.

FCC Crews Stationed In Los Angeles To Track Wildfire Impact On Telecommunications. – Insideradio.com
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Radio’s resiliency during a natural disaster has once again been on display in Los Angeles as wildfires continue to prompt evacuations and put lives at risk. No radio stations have been knocked off the air despite a close call last week at the Mount Wilson tower site. The Federal Communications Commission now says it has spectrum survey teams on the ground in the city at the request of state officials and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel says they are at work conducting an impact assessment on cellular communications in Los Angeles County as many of the fires have been in remote, hill areas where cell towers are located.

“This data is used to identify communications gaps, which informs emergency response activities and identifies where communications assets are needed,” Rosenworcel said Monday. She said the FCC has also issued several Special Temporary Authority to keep communications operational. “While communications outages remain minimal, the FCC will continue to closely monitor developments and do whatever we can to help ensure that residents and first responders are able to communicate and stay informed during this crisis,” Rosenworcel said.

The wildfires area also showing some limitations to the Wireless Alert System with an evacuation order mistakenly issued to nearly 10 million Los Angeles County residents along with some residents of neighboring counties.

The FCC is also looking into how investigating and finding solutions to how “echoes” of erroneous emergency alerts sent to mobile phones continued to land on phones across LA County, alarming residents already facing the horrifying effects of destructive wildfires that are still burning. The preliminary investigation has pointed to issues with telecommunications systems, likely due to the fires’ impacts on cellular towers. A software vendor that works with the county says it has added safeguards to its software.

“As we work through these serious issues and develop solutions, we want to emphasize that Wireless Emergency Alerts are just one part of the County’s multifaceted emergency notification system,” the county says in a statement.

 

 

FEMA Reactivates Online Rumor Response Page to Combat Los Angeles Fire Misinformation – Campus Safety Magazine
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The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has reactivated its rumor response website to address misinformation about Southern California’s current spate of wildfires. The agency posted similar information after last fall’s hurricanes Helene and Milton.

These are some of the false claims the page is addressing:

• FEMA only provides a one-time payment when you apply for assistance: False
• FEMA will take my property and land after a disaster: False
• FEMA is handing out vouchers for disaster assistance: False
• I can be paid $3,000 a week to assist with storm cleanup: False
• If you receive a grant from FEMA you will get less money from Social Security: False
• Survivors can’t apply if they have insurance: False
• I am automatically registered for FEMA assistance if I reported damage to my local parish, county officials, or a disaster relief organization: False
• FEMA will reimburse me for a generator I purchase: It depends.

The FEMA helpline is 1-800-621-3362.

LAFD Is Also Addressing Misinformation

The Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) has also been addressing misinformation about the fires the area is currently experiencing.

Newsom Climbs To Moral High Ground As California Incinerates– thefederalist.com
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If excuses were good for putting out fires, California’s Democrat chief executive Gavin Newsom could have his state fixed in a jiffy.

As California sailed into the weekend literally ablaze, Newsom thought there was no better time to sit for a half-hour podcast interview with a former Obama administration official. It was beautiful and truly everything we’ve grown to expect from a Democrat in a position of authority.

In 30 minutes, Newsom explained that every criticism leveled at him is “misinformation,” that he is just as much a victim as anyone who saw his home burn to ashes, and that he’s helping fix the problem even though it’s not his responsibility.

Asked by former Obama speechwriter Jon Favreau if there was anything his administration “could have done to be better prepared for a fire” that has so far killed at least two dozen people and incinerated over 40,000 acres, Newsom — I’m not kidding you — asked the public to give him a little more credit. “Well, you always have to have some humility and grace as it relates to that question,” he said, “and I’m very self-critical in that respect.”

He has humility and grace, plus he’s very self-critical, so have a heart, why don’t you?

When Favreau then suggested to Newsom that he’s “ultimately responsible as the … governor of the state” and that the newly announced investigation into a water shortage appeared to some as an effort to “pass the blame,” the Democrat governor assured the audience that no, no, no, that’s not it at all. He’s actually in the same boat as the people who want accountability for as many as seven separate wildfires so far, a number of which are still torching the state’s biggest city after a full week.

“So, I’m the governor of California. I want to know the answer,” he said. “I’ve got that question, I can’t tell you by how many people — ‘What happened?’ My own team saying, ‘What happened?’ And I want to get the answers.”

Now wait a minute! Who’s in charge here? The governor wants answers!

Then he went back to needing you to do a little more for him.

“You have to have a little bit of grace,” Newsom said before adding, “But no one has any patience anymore in this weaponized — back to the grievance of Trump.”

FAA says drone collided with firefighting aircraft flying over Palisades Fire – MSN
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A firefighting aircraft was grounded on Thursday after it was struck by a drone while flying over the Palisades Fire near the Pacific Coast, the Federal Aviation Administration said.

The incident occurred on the third day of the wildfire, one of five active wildfires across Los Angeles County. The aircraft landed safely and the incident is being investigated by the FAA, the agency said in a statement.

“It’s a federal crime, punishable by up to 12 months in prison, to interfere with firefighting efforts on public lands,” according to the agency. “The FAA has not authorized anyone unaffiliated with the Los Angeles firefighting operations to fly drones in the (temporary flight restrictions).”

The FAA said it could impose a civil penalty of up to $75,000 against any drone pilot who interferes with operations involving wildfire suppression, law enforcement, or emergency response while temporary flight restrictions are in place. The agency has implemented several temporary flight restrictions in the Los Angeles region to protect firefighting aircraft.

L.A.’s Fire Hazard Mayor Who was in Africa when Wildfires Hit Caught in Embarrassing Social Media Attack– lidblog.com
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L.A.’s fire hazard Mayor Karen Bass has been caught in an embarrassing social media attack on Sen. Ted Cruz, no less, and accusing him of doing exactly what she did — but what she did was even worse.

We all know that the incompetent Bass was in Africa when the wildfires broke out and that she is a non-entity in the response. But an old tweet Bass posted back in 2021 to attack Sen. Ted Cruz.

First some necessary background. You might recall that in February of 2021, Texas was hit with a vicious ice storm that sent thousands of citizens into the darkness when they lost power. Liberals attacked Senator Cruz because he took his daughter down to Cancun during the storm for 24 hours. But the left claimed he “abandoned” Texans during a crisis.

Now, first of all, a federal Senator has no roll in local crisis control. Further, a federal senator has little roll in state energy police. So, he could have flown to the moon and it wouldn’t have much mattered during the ice storm crisis. Still, it was a bit embarrassing for Ted, despite that it wasn’t really a big deal. And the left tried to make a big deal out of it… with the help of the left-wing, establishment, media.

FOX 11 Anchor’s On-Air Fact Check Exposes Bias in LA Wildfire Coverage– www.newsbusters.org
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Rarely has media spin control bias been more sharply on display than during the coverage of the Los Angeles wildfires by FOX 11 local news on Wednesday.

Their Good Day LA anchor Melvin Robert heard something from former L.A. mayoral candidate Rick Caruso — who lost to Karen Bass in the primary — that was critical of the local officials regarding the lack of water for the fire fighters. Robert immediately went into spin mode and denied any such lack of water only to be contradicted a few moments later by his own reporter on the scene with the fire fighters.

Here is the scene as it played out much to the humiliation of poor Melvin.

In an attempt to debunk Rick Caruso, LA morning anchor Melvin Robert is embarrassingly fact-checked by their own on-the-ground reporter: pic.twitter.com/lCvfMEnXxJ

— MarioFakerREAL 🥸 (@mario_faker) January 8, 2025

Ron DeSantis Slams Media For Giving Newsom A Pass: “If Newsom Was A Republican You Guys Would Have Him Nailed To The Wall”– www.louderwithcrowder.com
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If Gavin Newsom and Karen Bass don’t receive the criticism they deserve, there are two reasons. First, the media is the de facto PR wing of the Democratic party. So, while they would not think twice about criticizing the response if California were a Republican state, they would likely end up protecting those who should be held accountable to the fullest extent. Second, they will probably blame this on Climate Change and shield the public from the blatant government incompetence.

Nonetheless, the media still refuses to give these politicians the coverage they deserve, which is why Ron DeSantis is the voice of reason across the country.

The entire state and city are run by a bunch of incompetent DEI hires and the media refuses to expose the neglect this caused. You cannot get a worse response to a disaster than this and no one seems to care to report on it.

LA Officials Issued Countywide Evacuation Order—by Mistake– freebeacon.com
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Los Angeles County officials mistakenly issued a countywide evacuation order Thursday evening, followed by another erroneous order Friday morning for Beverly Hills, panicking residents already reeling from devastating wildfires.

“An EVACUATION WARNING has been issued in your area,” the first text alert reads, urging nearly 10 million county residents to “gather loved ones, pets, and supplies” and evacuate their homes. A second alert later that evening advised residents to “disregard last evacuation warning,” clarifying that the message was intended only for those near the Kenneth Fire burning in West Hills.

The county again sent an erroneous alert at 4 a.m. Friday morning, this time to residents of Beverly Hills. The city later confirmed that “this was another error.”

Looters On Scooters Attempted To Ransack Evacuated LA Homes As Wildfires Raged, Resident Says– dailycaller.com
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“A hundred” scooter-riding thieves attempted to rob multiple homes evacuated due to the wildfires ripping through Southern California, a woman told KTLA on Thursday.

Allison Agsten, a Los Angeles-area resident, said her neighbor witnessed the suspects trying to “get into any and all houses” in her neighborhood. Attempting to thwart burglaries, Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the deployment of 8,000 California National Guard troops to secure fire-ravaged zones Thursday after Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said his department arrested 20 people on suspicion of looting affected areas.

“We just started seeing all these cars pull up,” Agsten told the outlet. “Doors open, and groups of men are running up our street, going up to the doors of these houses … my next-door neighbor said, his quote, ‘there were like a hundred people that came up on scooters and were trying to get into any and all houses.’”

Hollywood Director Jim Jarmusch Blames Climate Deniers for Deadly L.A. Wildfires– conservativeroof.com
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Hollywood director Jim Jarmusch blamed the deadly Los Angeles wildfires on “climate deniers,” demanding that people “wake the fuck up.”

“I know all of us are worried about our friends in Los Angeles,” Jarmusch began before presenting filmmaker Sean Baker with an award for best screenplay for the 2024 film, Anora, at the New York Film Critics Circle Awards on Wednesday night in New York City.

Jarmusch’s remarks then took a bizarre turn as he proceeded to blame the wildfires on people skeptical of so-called “climate change.”

“This climate crisis is brought to you by climate deniers and venal corporate greed,” Jarmusch declared.

“We’re in a period where these clowns are telling that woke is a negative thing, and I would just like to say it’s time we wake the fuck up,” the director added.

20 Suspects Arrested for Looting Homes During Los Angeles Wildfires– conservativeroof.com
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As wildfires rage across Los Angeles County, leaving destruction and despair in their wake, opportunistic criminals have descended on vulnerable neighborhoods, targeting homes abandoned by evacuees.

During a press conference Thursday morning, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna announced the arrest of at least 20 individuals for looting homes damaged or destroyed by the fires.

“Last night and this morning, we are up to 20 individuals who chose to go into our areas and deprive these poor people who have been through so much of their property. Absolutely unacceptable,” Luna told reporters.

Luna warned that anyone caught looting or trespassing in evacuation zones would face severe consequences. He emphasized that deputies are patrolling these vulnerable areas.

CA wildfire backlash: State Farm, other insurers slammed for dropping coverage – Fox Business
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CA wildfire backlash: State Farm, other insurers slammed for dropping coverage  Fox Business

More than 9,000 homes, structures damaged or destroyed in Palisades, Eaton fires, officials say – Los Angeles Times
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More than 9,000 homes, structures damaged or destroyed in Palisades, Eaton fires, officials say  Los Angeles Times

Plane scooping water from ocean to fight wildfires grounded after hitting drone illegally flying over Pacific Palisades– www.theblaze.com
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A drone that was being illegally flown damaged and grounded a Super Scooper plane that was leased to help fight the damaging wildfires in Los Angeles.

Officials said the drone collided with the plane and left a fist-sized hole in its wing, which needed repair. Drones are not allowed to fly during firefighting efforts, and the Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the incident.

‘If you fly a drone at one of these brush fires, all aerial operations will be shut down.’

Two Super Scoopers were leased from Canada to help fight the tremendously damaging wildfires in Pacific Palisades and elsewhere in Southern California.

US agency declares California wildfires a public health emergency – The Straits Times
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US agency declares California wildfires a public health emergency  The Straits Times