Christian Fors, A Resident of Los Angeles County He and a research fellow at the independent, California-based institute say locals are wondering about the tax money they receive as officials struggle to contain devastating wildfires fueled by strong winds.
the It has been devastated by forest fires More than 12,300 homes were destroyed across Los Angeles over five straight days, killing at least 11 people and displacing thousands. As of Saturday morning, the Palisades Fire was 11% contained, the Eaton Fire was 15% contained, the Kenneth Fire was 80% contained, and the Hearst Fire was 76% contained, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
“I think at a basic level, we the citizens of the United States and Los Angeles, we expect some judgment from our government. When people see that our basic needs are not being met, they are angry,” Force said. Fox News Digital.
“I think the people of California — they're willing to pay high taxes. They're willing to support things that maybe they don't necessarily agree with because there's a basic assumption underlying all of that, which is that our government is here to take care of us,” he continued. “But now in a situation like this, when there is total mismanagement, when people are afraid, when containment is at 0%, people are asking themselves the question, why did all this tax money go?”
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Firefighters work near a burning building in Pacific Palisades, California, on January 8, 2025. (Jason Ryan/Noor Photo)
Force, whose research focuses on government waste and inefficiency in California, evacuated his home in La Cañada Flintridge, adjacent to the now burning city of Altadena, with his grandfather after their next-door neighbor knocked on their door at 6 a.m. and said, “You need to leave.”
The research fellow pointed to multiple issues he believes could have been addressed to mitigate wildfires, including more favorable insurance policies that would encourage “a lot of productive building types” built to withstand wildfires and other natural disasters; Laying fire-resistant power lines underground; Turn off the power when strong winds blow through certain areas; More burns can be controlled.
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Luke Dexter reacts as he sifts through the remains of his father's fire-ravaged property on the beachfront following the Palisades Fire on Friday, January 10, 2025 in Malibu, California. (John Lusher)
Force also noted that California has been struggling to address its housing crisis for years, and displaced residents struggle to find places to go after being evicted from their homes.
“At the state level, I'm not sure if the necessary efforts have been taken.”
“(California Governor) Gavin Newsom “In 2020, we reached a memorandum of understanding with the U.S. Forest Service, and they agreed that they were going to clear … 500,000 acres of forest land a year,” Force explained. “And that means doing controlled burns, because part of the problem with living in a place like California is We're surrounded by wild lands. The brush is accumulating in these wild lands, and this brush is very dangerous… So they came up with this memorandum of understanding and they were going to clear 500,000 acres, but they didn't clear Only about 100 thousand acres annually.
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A helicopter drops water on the Palisades Fire in Mandeville Canyon, Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025, in Los Angeles. (Etienne Laurent)
Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony C. Marrone told reporters Saturday that his department was prepared for strong Santa Ana winds that could fan the flames into Wednesday.
“These winds, coupled with dry air and dry vegetation, will keep fire danger in Los Angeles County high,” Marrone said.
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People view smoke and flames from the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood on January 7, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Tiffany Rose/Getty Images)
The Eaton Fire has burned 14,117 acres and is now 15% contained, with more than 7,000 structures damaged or destroyed. Maroun said that 2,832 emergency personnel were deployed to fight the fire.
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The Palisades Fire is now at 21,596 acres and is 11% contained, Cal Fire Battalion Chief Todd Hopkins said. The fire destroyed a total of 5,316 buildings, including 426 homes. He added that more than 150,000 residents were evacuated.
Fox News' Chris Pandolfo contributed to this report.
