The devastating Palisades and Eaton fires in Los Angeles have ignited public anger over perceived budget cuts to the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) and the leadership of Mayor Karen Bass and Fire Chief Kristin Crowley. While the city maintains that the LAFD received increased funding, critics point to a $17 million reduction in the department's 2024-25 budget compared to the previous year and argue that this contributed to the scale of the disaster. The fires have resulted in widespread destruction, with over 13,000 structures destroyed and 27 fatalities.
A white picket fence stands with untouched roses. Six feet away, a home is gone. The decimation caused by the Palisades and Eaton fires is catastrophic and abnormal, and Los Angeles is grieving loss unlike ever before.
Last year, Mayor Karen Bass’ 2024-2025 budget plan proposed $23 million reductions in fire department spending. When the city council approved the budget in May, the proposed cuts were reduced to $17 million. Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez says she helped to restore wildland hand crews and secured $1.
Rodriguez, who is the daughter of a firefighter, says that the department has not been funded to the greatest need possible. The community of Sylmar in her district, for example, has endured numerous wildfires, yet has been denied a much-needed second fire station for more than 20 years. In 2023, Rodriguez got approval for it and is in the process of acquiring a property but is still working on getting funding for design, construction, and staffing.
Barneveld-Taylor is a 26-year veteran of the LAFD and has known and supported Crowley for two decades, although they were never assigned at the same fire station. They also worked together through the Los Angeles Women in the Fire Service group, of which Barneveld-Taylor is a founding member, helping women and people of color get hired — and fairly promoted — in the fire service.
WILDFIRE BUDGETCUTS LAFD MAYOR BASS LEADERSHIP DISASTER
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