It is with great sadness that I hear of the devastating fires spreading across LA, which first erupted Tuesday amid hurricane-force, dry Santa Ana winds in the area of North Piedra Morada Drive. It quickly swept through residential and commercial districts in this affluent coastal community, leading to gridlock traffic. People evacuating on foot. Homes and vehicles on fire. This is terrifying. But it is happening because their government couldn’t afford water for fire hydrants and firefighting planes, yet they managed to give billion of tax dollars to israel to kill innocent children in Gaza while burning Gaza to the ground, while.the Biden-Harris Administration announces announces $500,000,000 in Taxpayer Funds for the Ukraine.
The wildfires have already being labelled the most destructive in LA history, having burned at least 27,000 acres of land and at least five people have been killed by the out-of-control fires so far, with more than 1,000 structures destroyed and at least 150,000 residents forced to flee their homes, where the average property price is at least $2 million.
More than 800 firefighting personnel, with the help of fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters, are battling the blaze. However, the same winds that fueled the fire have limited the use of aerial resources. “Extreme fire behavior, including short and long-range spotting, continues to challenge firefighting efforts for the Palisades Fire,” CalFire said in a bulletin. “Winds gusts up to 60 MPH are expected to continue through Thursday, potentially aiding in further fire activity and suppression efforts'' https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2025/1/7/palisades-fire
While we watch multi-million dollar estates of Hollywood stars, like Steven Spielberg, Leonardo DiCaprio, Anthony Hopkins, Mark Hamill and Paris Hilton. going up in flames, iconic landmarks like the Walk of Fame and the Hollywood Bowl perilously close to becoming ash with Governor Gavin Newsom declaring a state of emergency as firefighters battle to save lives and heritage in the City of Angels, it seens California’s environmental policies have just came home to roost in the most expensive zip codes in America.
Budget cuts to fire services, neglected brush management, and chronic under-investment in public infrastructure have helped creaee this climate disaster., highlighting the urgent need for stronger climate action to protect both lives and property.
What's not being said is the fact that the chaparral ecosystem of coastal LA needs fire to survive. A pyrophilic city requires regular burning to replenish itself. To simply clear its hills and valleys of dense suburbia would disrupt the fragile ecosystem. For centuries, indigenous people used periodic controlled fires to regulate the risk by removing flammable brush But their fires were banned, homes were built in mountainous areas, and now we’re witnessing the result.
Ir's also worth mentioning that LA has released a proportionally larger amount of the CO2 that is driving global warming and increasing the frequency and intensity of wild fires than many other cities.
As Wild Fires blaze across Los Angeles and 100's of thousands are forced to flee their homes with massive amounts of destruction to the landscape and wildlife, The largest corporations in the US promised, quote, "Mother Nature still ain't got shit on me!"
While this is happening lets not forget that the scenes in California are the same scenes that have been inflicted on Gaza for over a year. After 13 months of relentless violence, Palestinians in Gaza have lost everything, the Gaza Strip completely destroyed.Nearly two million people are displaced across Gaza, struggling to secure basic food and medicine. With many lacking even a tent or a tarpaulin for shelter, and most aid remains blocked from leaving crossing points due to insecurity, active hostilities and widespread destruction.
In northern Gaza, conditions are especially desperate under an intensive Israeli siege. An estimated 100,000 people in North Gaza governorate are completely cut off from humanitarian aid, with the UN condemning ‘unlawful interference with humanitarian assistance’.Not a single LA celebrity spoke out about Gaza at one of their glitzy awards the other night. They at least got a chance to evacuate.
The same bureaucrats who allowed LA to burn are same ones who allowed Rafah to go up in flames. From LA to Gaza the world has burned and burned. If you’re sympathizing with thoses in California but silent on Gaza you will never get it. The issues of environmental justice go hand in hand with the issue of Palestinian liberation.
Fires are always devastating, whether caused by nature or by humans who bomb and burn hospitals, refugee camps, and schools to kill children and women. After this fire, Hollywood will be rebuilt more beautifully, but in Gaza, the children who have lost their loved ones,brothers, sisters, and witnessed their homes being bombed will never receive such assistance.
When Palestinian's had their tents bombed and burned out and many innocents lost their lives, our news channels gave it a brief mention. The Los Angeles wildfires are rolling news .And that is where the difference lies.While most eyes are currently on Los Angeles, people have forgotten what’s happening in Gaza, where genocide continues and the world watches with apathy. This can’t continue.
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