A white picket fence stands with untouched roses.
Six feet away, a home is gone.
Across the political spectrum, people were pissed.
Firefighters battle the Eaton Fire in Altadena, California.Jon Putman/NurPhoto/Getty Images
Crowley had previously raised concerns about the department facing budget cutsin a Dec. 4 memo.
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.
In contrast, the union contract for theLAPDwas approved a year earlier, according to Szabo.
Another appropriation made outside the budget was $58 million for apparatus and vehicle replacement.
In total, the LAFD was budgeted $963 million during the 2024-25 cycle.
As the fires began, there were funds available for any pop in of emergency deployment activities.
But in this case, there was plenty of funding, Szabo says.
We are spending more on labor costs.
Rodriguez, the councilwoman, tellsRolling Stonethat the LAFD has not grown commensurate with the population growth.
A year ago, it was a lot less to pay for a gallon of milk, she says.
We are spending more on our labor costs.
It doesnt mean that theres any new positions being funded to the department.
There were significant reductions to the fire departments staffing and apparatus after the 2008 financial collapse.
The city has never recovered its fire personnel and apparatus to those pre-recession levels, Rodriguez says.
Are there politics at play?
Many on the right areblaming the fires on diversityand pitting the two women against each other.
Three days later, the United Firefighters of Los Angeles Local 112 wrote a letter supporting Crowley.
Rodriguez has the utmost respect for Crowley.
Ive watched people come for her but its all counterproductive, she says.
And are there politics at play?
Nobody is going to stop [an] 100-mph flaming firefront.
County Fire Chief Marrone calls Crowley a valued and trusted colleague and says unsigned complaints are inappropriate.
I dont think attacking who people are personally is appropriate.
Budget cuts happen, Barneveld-Taylor says.
I get that mayors need to do that.
