The Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) could have pre-deployed ten engines to the Pacific Palisades ahead of the deadly Palisades Fire on January 7, but chose not to, according to former fire chiefs quoted by the Los Angeles Times.
As Breitbart News has reported, the LAFD, led by Chief Kristin Crowley, apparently declined to pre-deploy resources on January 6, ahead of extreme winds, because of budget cuts that made the department reluctant to pay overtime.
The Los Angeles Times adds that it took 18 minutes for firefighters to respond to the first 911 call about the brush fire that became the massive Palisades Fire. By then, it was almost too late to stop the wind from fanning the first flames.
The Times reported:
The LAFD could have sent at least 10 additional engines to the Palisades before the fire — engines that could have been on patrol along the hillsides and canyons,…
