California firefighters distracted by special requests from politicians, VIPs during Woolsey blaze: report
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A firefighter battles the Woolsey Fire in Malibu, Calif., last November.
Los Angeles fire officials were reportedly distracted by special requests from politicians and high-profile residents during the first crucial hours of the Woolsey Fire last November, an after-action report of the wildfire said this week.
The requests were mostly to ensure the safety of specific homes as the fire spread rapidly through the county, the Los Angeles Times reported Friday. The review did not say which politicians and VIPs were involved or how the requests affected the firefight.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}“We have to understand we probably have some of the wealthiest communities in America, and with that comes a certain amount of political power,” Los Angeles Fire Assistant Chief Tim Ernst said in the interview Friday, the Times reported. He said that any requests should go through the proper channels to make sure they don’t become a distraction. Ernst added that requests from politicians are common during most large-scale wildfires.
Four people died in the fire that started Nov. 8 and burned 96,949 acres; it was the most destructive wildfire in modern California history with more than 1,600 structures were destroyed.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Ventura County Fire Department used up most of its resources on the Hill Fire which started just before the Woolsey Fire but burned fewer than 5,000 acres, leaving the LAFD and L.A. County Fire Department to deal with the Woolsey Fire themselves, the L.A. Times reported. During the initial hours of the fire, firefighters reportedly said there wasn’t enough water, direction and communication from fire incident leaders.