Wildfires raging near Los Angeles have claimed at least 24 lives, displaced tens of thousands, and caused an estimated $150 billion in damages – but the real story lies in the systemic breakdown of government response.
Firefighters faced empty hydrants amid \"water supply collapses\", while political leaders traded blame like TikTok challenges. President-elect Donald Trump accused Governor Gavin Newsom and LA Mayor Karen Bass of \"gross incompetence\", while FEMA’s alleged funding crisis left locals questioning who’s actually holding the extinguisher.
Why it matters: This isn’t just about flames – it’s about failure. Residents fled with only the clothes they wore, while emergency planes scooped seawater as a last resort. One lifelong Angeleno told us: \"This feels like a dystopian movie, not my hometown.\"
With Biden’s team offering vague promises and Trump’s transition team fueling division, the crisis reveals deeper cracks in disaster preparedness. As climate extremes become the new norm, Angelenos – and the world – are left wondering: Who’s got our back when the heat rises?
