Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is under fire after revelations surfaced that she slashed $17.6 million from the city’s fire department budget for the 2024-25 fiscal year.
This significant reduction, originally proposed as a $23 million cut, is the second-largest budget decrease for the city, according to a report by the New York Post.
The cuts were first noted in October by LA City Controller Kenneth Meija, who highlighted the reductions in a graphic showing the $17.6 million cut to the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) budget.
The only larger cut was $21.4 million from street services. This decision stems from Bass’s broader $12.8 billion budget reduction for the 2024-25 fiscal year, which she proposed in April and signed into law in June.
The timing of these budget cuts has reignited criticism as devastating wildfires continue to rage across Los Angeles. Since the fires began on Tuesday, they have burned over 5,000 acres, destroyed homes, and forced mass evacuations. The fires remain uncontained as of Wednesday morning, with emergency responders stretched thin.
Adding to the controversy, Mayor Bass has been out of the country, returning from a trip to Africa where she attended the inauguration of Ghana’s president.
“Angelenos should be advised that the windstorm is expected to worsen through the morning and to heed local warnings, stay vigilant and stay safe,” Bass posted on X (formerly Twitter). She also praised firefighters working “overnight to protect Angelenos affected by fires.”
The ongoing wildfires have exposed resource challenges within the city. Reports indicate that some firefighters have run out of water while battling the flames.
Former LA mayoral candidate Rick Caruso criticized the situation during an interview with Fox 11, stating:
“There’s no water in the Palisades. There’s no water coming out of the fire hydrants. We’ve got a mayor that’s out of the country, and we’ve got a city that’s burning, and there’s no resources to put out fires.”
Los Angeles refused to fill the water reservoirs and now there’s no water in the fire hydrants to fight the fires.
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) January 8, 2025
People are fleeing for their lives while watching their homes & businesses burn to the ground.
This is incompetence at the highest level.pic.twitter.com/boN1BHI34D
The LAFD has called in off-duty personnel to bolster efforts against the wildfires, but the resource gaps remain stark.
California Governor Gavin Newsom announced on Wednesday the deployment of over 1,400 firefighters to assist with the wildfires, later according to Fox News he deployed the state’s National Guard to combat the wildfires.
“Emergency officials, firefighters, and first responders are all hands on deck through the night to do everything possible to protect lives,” Newsom wrote on X.
The budget cuts to the LAFD have drawn sharp criticism not only from residents but also from political figures and analysts who question the city’s priorities.
Critics argue that reducing resources for firefighting and emergency response in a state prone to wildfires is shortsighted and leaves communities vulnerable during crises like this one.
As Los Angeles battles one of its most severe wildfire seasons, the decision to cut funding for critical emergency services is expected to remain a contentious issue, with calls for greater accountability and reevaluation of the city’s spending priorities.
For now, Angelenos can only hope that the combined efforts of local and state resources will bring the wildfires under control, even as questions linger about the city’s preparedness for future disasters.