First Responders

No fire crews responded during either the Palisades or Woolsey Fires, leaving entire neighborhoods to burn.

During the January 2025 Palisades Fire, just as during the 2018 Woolsey Fire, not a single firefighter or police officer was seen responding in the most affected neighborhoods. Residents were left completely unsupported while trash trucks, food couriers, and package delivery services freely moved through the danger zones from late morning through the afternoon.

Most alarmingly, residents were explicitly told not to evacuate. Official maps issued by CAL FIRE and LAFD were 12 to 24 hours out of date, falsely identifying already-burned areas as “safe.” This misinformation contributed to property loss and endangered lives.

Emergency response infrastructure in Los Angeles is not only underprepared, it is dangerously mismanaged. An independent audit of evacuation protocols and resource deployment is overdue and necessary.