Los Angeles wildfires: Who’s been blamed for response shortcomings?
The official cause of the deadly Los Angeles wildfires, fuelled by powerful winds and drought-like conditions, is yet to be determined.
But with the blazes still raging, causing devastation that has seen hundreds of homes destroyed and at least 16 people killed, who has been blamed over shortcomings in the response?
Donald Trump leads fierce criticism
President-elect Donald Trump was quick to point the finger at Joe Biden and California’s governor Gavin Newsom – a Democrat he refers to as “Gavin Newscum”.
LA fires latest: Looters dress as firefighters
He blamed water conservation priorities, including those related to the endangered Delta smelt fish, for causing hydrants to run dry in parts of Los Angeles.
“It’s a mistake of the governor, and you can say the administration,” he said.
“They don’t have any water. They didn’t have water in the fire hydrants.
“The governor has not done a good job.”
Resident berates Newsom
Without specifically naming Mr Trump, Mr Biden reacted to the claim during a briefing at the White House, passing the question to his deputy energy secretary David Turk.
He explained why power lines were shut down in the fire and how that impacted hydrants, saying it was down to a power and pressure issue.
Hydrants need power to pump water up, he said, but during times of disaster power lines are cut to curb the risk of power surges and line breakdowns.
Mr Trump went as far as to call Mr Newsom and LA mayor Karen Bass’ leadership “gross incompetence” and blamed them for “a total wipeout” in Los Angeles.
He said in a social media post: “This is one of the worst catastrophes in the history of our country. They just can’t put out the fires. What’s wrong with them?”
California governor hits back
Mr Newsom, who has also been the target of criticism from residents hit by the devastating wildfires, has invited Mr Trump to survey the area and meet those affected, but said the president-elect has not yet responded.
LA mayor Karen Bass speaks to the media
Read more:
What we know about the people killed?
What caused the fires?
In an interview with Sky News’ US partner network NBC, he took aim at those “creating a crisis” by taking “cheap political shots” and criticised the spreading of “mis and disinformation”.
“Somehow connecting the Delta smelt to this fire, which is inexcusable because it’s inaccurate – also incomprehensible to anyone that understands water policy in the state,” he said.
Trump claimed policies related to the endangered Delta smelt fish affected how much water could be pumped out of its habitat.
He also criticised what he said was Mr Trump’s suggestions he would withhold aid for California wildfires, saying he was “threatening the first responders”.
Mr Newsom has called for an independent investigation into the issues of water pressure and supply but insisted it was “not about finger pointing”.
LA mayor under fire
Asked if he had faith in the LA mayor, Mr Newsom did not back her by name but said he had “absolute faith in our community, adding: “I have faith in our leaders. I have the faith of our capacity to work together.”
More than 90,000 people have signed an online petition calling on Ms Bass to resign, accusing her of a “failure” to respond to the fires gripping the city.
Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Kristin Crowley. File pic: AP
The city mayor, who was on a visit to Ghana when the fires broke out, is also facing fierce criticism for $17.8m (£14.5m) in budget cuts for the Los Angeles Fire Department.
Fire chief embroiled in political row
Fire chief Kristin Crowley said they had “negatively impacted” her team’s ability to tackle the fires.
She told CNN “the fire department needs help” and there are not enough staff or fire stations, and in an interview with KTTV when asked if the city had failed the LAFD she responded, “yes”.
Ms Bass has denied that the reduction had an impact on firefighting efforts during this week’s crisis and sought to ease the tension amid rumours Ms Crowley would be sacked.
“The fire chief and I are focused on fighting these fires and saving lives, and any differences that we might have will be worked out in private,” Ms Bass said at a news conference.
Ms Crowley, who is gay and the city’s first female fire chief, had herself been swept into the national political debate with conservatives claiming diversity, equity and inclusion policies have gone too far in US institutions.
She has made diversifying the overwhelmingly male department a priority, but there’s no evidence that her efforts have hampered the fight.
US
Trump engaged in unprecedented criminal effort to overturn 2020 election, prosecutor’s report says
President-elect Donald Trump engaged in an unprecedented criminal effort to overturn his 2020 election defeat, according to a report by Special Counsel Jack Smith.
Prosecutor Mr Smith said Mr Trump “inspired his supporters to commit acts of physical violence” in the January 6 riots and knowingly spread a false narrative about fraud in the 2020 election.
However, efforts to bring Mr Trump to trial over his attempt to hold on to power were thwarted by his re-election in November, the special prosecutor said in his report, which was released by the Department of Justice on Tuesday.
He also found charges could be justified against Mr Trump’s co-conspirators but reached no final conclusions.
Rioters loyal to President Donald Trump rally at the US Capitol on 6 January, 2021. Pic: AP
Mr Smith resigned in the wake of Mr Trump’s election victory in November.
“Indeed, but for Mr Trump’s election and imminent return to the Presidency, the Office assessed that the admissible evidence was sufficient to obtain and sustain a conviction at trial,” Mr Smith’s report said.
The release of the report comes a few days after Mr Trump was sentenced following his conviction in the Stormy Daniels hush money case.
Special counsel Jack Smith. Pic: AP
President-elect Mr Trump has consistently criticised Mr Smith and allies have suggested the special counsel should now face criminal charges for pursuing the case against him.
In the wake of the release of the report, Mr Trump called Mr Smith “deranged” and criticised the report’s “fake findings”.
Released alongside the report was a letter from lawyers for Mr Trump to the justice department, dated 6 January 2025.
In it, they called for Mr Smith to “terminate all efforts toward the preparation and release” of the report, which they said was “consistent with the bad-faith crusade” that they said Mr Smith conducted on behalf of the Biden-Harris administration.
The special prosecutor defended his investigation, saying: “The claim from Mr Trump that my decisions as a prosecutor were influenced or directed by the Biden administration or other political actors is, in a word, laughable.”
Read more:
January 6: The case against Donald Trump
January 6: How four hours of mayhem unfolded
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Hush money case: Trump reacts to becoming a felon
Mr Smith’s case had faced legal hurdles even before it was clear that Mr Trump would be returning to the White House.
It was paused for months as the former president pursued a legal claim that he could not be prosecuted for official actions taken during his time as commander-in-chief.
The Supreme Court, with its conservative majority, largely agreed with him, granting former presidents broad immunity from criminal prosecution.
Other allegations in the report released today include:
• Mr Trump contacted legislators and executives at state level and “urged them to take action to ignore the vote counts and change the results”
• Mr Trump and co-conspirators launched a plan to use fraudulent electors in seven states that he had lost in the 2020 election to send false certifications to Washington DC
• Frustrated with the justice department because it had identified no evidence of substantial fraud in the 2020 election, Mr Trump “attempted to wield federal power to perpetuate his fraud claims and retain office”
• Mr Trump repeatedly pressed then vice president Mike Pence to use his ministerial position as president of the Senate to change the election outcome – something Mr Pence repeatedly refused to do.
Police are reportedly focusing on a possible human cause in early investigations into what caused the deadly Palisades fire in Los Angeles.
Several law enforcement sources told Sky’s partner site NBC News potential lines of inquiry involve fireworks or unauthorised individuals camping in the area.
Stressing no conclusions have been reached, they said other possibilities include accidental equipment-related ignition, and said arson is not being ruled out.
Fires latest – at least 24 people killed
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Sky presenter challenges LA officials
At least 24 people have been killed and thousands of homes destroyed in the wildfires that have raged across Los Angeles.
Most of the destruction has been wrought by the Palisades fire, which has torched nearly 24,000 acres and is just 14% contained, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire).
Officials have not yet identified the cause of any of the Los Angeles fires.
Firefighters put out a smouldering hot spot. Pics: Reuters
A lawsuit has been filed against utility company Southern California Edison claiming its equipment sparked the Eaton fire.
The blaze in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains east of the city has burned through 14,000 acres and was 33% contained, according to Cal Fire.
Edison has acknowledged fire agencies are investigating whether its equipment may have started a smaller fire in the LA area that broke out on the same day.
Read more:
Santa Ana winds that fuelled wildfires are back – here’s what it could mean
A woman walks past destroyed homes. Pic: Reuters
It comes as additional firefighters and water tankers have deployed ahead of the forecast return of fierce Santa Ana winds which threaten to whip up the two massive wildfires.
Planes have been working to douse homes and hillsides with pink fire-retardant chemicals, while dozens of water trucks have worked to replenish supplies after hydrants ran dry last week.
“We’re absolutely better prepared,” LA County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said when he was asked what will be different from a week ago.
But he warned high winds could ground firefighting aircraft and said if they reach 70mph “it’s going to be very difficult to contain that fire”.
A third fire that has burned nearly 800 acres is 95% contained, while three other fires in California have been fully brought under control in recent days.
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