Palisades Fire: Hydrants Run Dry

Pacific Palisades is an upscale area of Los Angeles adjacent to the Pacific Ocean. It was the site of past major fires, so we have been warmed. Reportedly there are three large water storage tanks. The last of the three ran dry last night. Now firefighters are greeted with hydrants that barely dribble.

The mayor of Los Angeles is in Ghana. Yes, that Ghana, the country in Africa. How this helps the 4 million people of Los Angeles is unclear. The fire chief is the first openly lesbian fire officer in the LAFD. How this helps the functioning of the department is also unclear. But what is clear is that even Casey and Severide could not do much with dribbling hydrants.

What is clear is that cutting $17.6 million from the LAFD budget did not strengthen it. What is clear is that at least 1100 homes have burned down. What is clear is that at least three people are dead and over 1000 injured.

Being woke and DEI and inclusive and diverse may have benefits, but protecting the citizens from wildfires is not among them. And on a national level, protecting the citizens from hostile nations and terrorists is not among them, either. Time to face reality.