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As the devastating wildfire reduced much of Altadena to ashes, National Guard soldiers were deployed to patrol the area on Friday. However, for the residents of this Los Angeles suburb, their arrival felt like too little, too late.
Nicholas Norman, a local teacher, expressed his frustration, saying, “We didn’t see a single firefighter while we were throwing buckets of water to defend our house against the flames.” He accused authorities of prioritizing wealthier areas, adding, “They were too busy over in the Palisades saving the rich and famous’s properties, and they let us common folks burn.”
The fire, however, showed no bias. In the upscale Pacific Palisades neighborhood, where the flames first took hold, residents are equally outraged by the authorities’ response.
Nicole Perri, a stylist whose luxurious Palisades home was destroyed, said, “Our city has completely let us down.” She criticized the malfunctioning fire hydrants and expressed disbelief that preventive measures were not in place. “We’ve lost everything, and I just feel zero support from our city, our horrible mayor, and our governor.”
At least 11 people have lost their lives in the ongoing fires, with around 10,000 buildings destroyed and more than 100,000 people forced to evacuate. While authorities have cited high winds and prolonged droughts as the cause of the fire’s intensity, many Californians feel these explanations don’t fully account for the devastation.
Criticism has been particularly sharp toward Mayor Karen Bass, who was in Ghana when the fires began, despite warnings of severe weather. The city’s budget cuts to the fire department and the confusion surrounding evacuation warnings have fueled further discontent.
James Brown, a retired lawyer in Altadena, stated, “I don’t think the officials were prepared at all,” and added, “There’s going to have to be a real evaluation here, because hundreds and hundreds of thousands of people have just been completely displaced.”
Amidst the fallout, both Mayor Bass and Governor Gavin Newsom have called for investigations. Republican president-elect Donald Trump has also waded into the controversy, criticizing California’s leadership, which has sparked additional tensions. However, some survivors, like architect Ross Ramsey, urge a more measured response, focusing on helping victims before assigning blame.
“It’s too early to point fingers or blame anybody for anything,” Ramsey said, while clearing the ashes of his mother’s house. “We should be focusing on the people who are trying to pick up their lives and how to help them… Then we can point fingers and figure this all out, with real facts and real data.”
