A recent report has revealed that Los Angeles fire officials chose not to deploy 1,000 available firefighters and over 40 water-carrying engines until after a wildfire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood was already burning out of control. This decision was made despite warnings of life-threatening winds, according to internal fire department records obtained by the Los Angeles Times.
The records show that officials did not order hundreds of available fire crews to remain on duty for a second shift last Tuesday to help battle the growing flames. Additionally, only five of the more than 40 available fire engines were staffed, with no extra engines pre-positioned in the Palisades region prior to the fire breaking out.
According to the logs, the extra manpower was only sent to the now-destroyed Palisades enclave after the flames had already spread.
Criticism over LA officials’ decision
Former LAFD Battalion chief Rick Crawford criticized the decision, saying, as quoted by the New York Post, “The plan you’re using now for the fire you should have used before the fire. It’s a known staffing tactic — a deployment model.”
Crawford now oversees emergency and crisis management for the US Capitol. “You would have had a better chance to get a better result if you deployed those engines,” he added.
“You give yourself the best chance to minimize how big the fire could get. … If you do that, you have the ability to say, ‘I threw everything at it at the outset.’”
“That didn’t happen here,” Crawford said, mentioning that the decisions were part of a “domino effect of missteps” by officials.
LA official defends their plan
LA’s deputy chief Richard Fields, who was in charge of staffing and equipment, defended the plan, saying it was “appropriate for immediate response.”
“It’s very easy to Monday-morning quarterback and sit on the couch and tell us what we should have done now that the thing has happened,” he added, as quoted by the New York Post.
Fields continued that they took the decision based on years of experience. “What we did was based on many years of experience and also trying to be responsible for the rest of the city at any given time of that day.”
Fire chief Kristin Crowley also stood behind the department’s tactics, citing limited resources and a doubling of 911 calls on the day of the fire.
At least 25 dead in wildfire
The Palisades Fire, which has been blamed for eight deaths, is currently 18% contained, according to Cal Fire. The wildfire across Los Angeles has killed 25 people.
Crews fighting the blaze reported struggling to combat the flames after local hydrants ran dry due to low water pressure. It has also been revealed that the 117 million-gallon Santa Ynez Reservoir in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood was empty and undergoing repairs when the fire started.
