California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) cut $100 million from the state’s fire prevention budget in 2024 before residents in the Los Angeles area were hit by wildfires, Newsweek reported.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass (D) slashed almost $20 million from her city’s budget for fire services for the current fiscal year, Breitbart News reported on Wednesday.
Newsweek‘s article, published on Friday, continued:
The 2024-25 California state budget, which Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law in June 2024, slashed funding for wildfire and forest resilience by $101 million as part of a series of cutbacks according to an analysis by the state’s Legislative Analyst’s Office.
However overall, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE)’s wildfire protection budget has increased sharply from $1.1 billion in 2014 to $3 billion in 2023, much of which took place after Newsom became governor in 2019.
Speaking to Newsweek, a spokesperson for Newsom said that under the governor’s “leadership” the CAL FIRE budget had doubled from $2 billion in 2018-19 to $3.8 billion in 2024-25, whilst the department’s personnel went from 5,829 to 10,741 over the same period.
On Friday, a citizen affected by the California wildfires, which have claimed the lives of 10 people, confronted Newsom and asked him what he was going to do about the disaster, Breitbart News reported.
Watch the woman, identified as a lawyer named Rachel Darvish, continue asking Newsom what his plan is for the future:
WOW. This woman literally ran up to Gavin Newsom on the street and demanded answers on his disastrous wildfires response — and she was NOT taking no for an answer. Good for her. pic.twitter.com/GNjUATtKXt
— Jake Schneider (@jacobkschneider) January 9, 2025
Meanwhile, actor-comedian Steve Byrne called out the state’s politicians, including Newsom and Bass, for their mishandling of the wildfires, Breitbart News reported on Thursday.
“I believe the leadership from Gov Newsom, DWP, down to the Mayor will face incredibly steep repercussions for their lack of leadership and foresight. It’s criminal from a governing perspective and heartbreaking from a personal perspective,” he said.
Video footage shows famous buildings that were destroyed by the Los Angeles fires, leaving the community in shock:
President-elect Donald Trump (R) has also criticized Newsom for his lack of preparation and subpar response to the historic disaster.
He wrote in a social media post on Wednesday, “One of the best and most beautiful parts of the United States of America is burning down to the ground. It’s ashes, and Gavin Newscum should resign. This is all his fault!!!”
WATCH — “For the Sake of a Smelt”: Trump Rips Newsom for Lack of Water to Battle L.A. Fires
