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Kristian Fors, a Los Angeles County Resident and researcher at the California-based Independent Institute, says locals are wondering what their tax money is going to as officials struggle to contain devastating wildfires fanned by strong winds.
He forest fires have destroyed More than 12,300 homes in Los Angeles over five consecutive days, leaving at least 11 people dead and thousands displaced. As of Saturday morning, the Palisades Fire was 11% contained, the Eaton Fire was 15% contained, the Kenneth Fire was 80% contained and the Hurst Fire was 76% contained, according to the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection from California.
“I think at the core, we, the citizens of the United States and of Los Angeles, expect certain provisions from our government. And when people see that our basic needs are not being met, they get angry,” Fors said. FoxNewsDigital.
“I think the people of California are willing to pay high taxes. They’re willing to support things that they may not necessarily agree with because there’s a basic assumption underlying everything: that our government is here to take care of us,” he continued. “But now, in a situation like this, when there is total mismanagement, when people are afraid, when there is 0% containment, people are wondering: what did all that tax money go to?”
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Firefighters work near a burning structure in Pacific Palisades, California, on January 8, 2025. (Jason Ryan/NurPhoto)
Fors, whose research focuses on government waste and inefficiencies in California, evacuated his home in La Cañada Flintridge, neighboring the now-burning city of Altadena, with his grandfather after his neighbor knocked on his door at 6 am and said, “You have to go.”
The researcher noted multiple issues he believes could have been addressed to mitigate wildfires, including more favorable insurance policies that would encourage “many types of productive construction” built to withstand wildfires and other natural disasters; place fire-resistant power lines underground; turning off power when strong winds blow in certain areas; and more controlled burns.
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Luke Dexter reacts as he examines the remains of his father’s fire-ravaged beachfront property following the Palisades Fire on Friday, January 10, 2025 in Malibu, California. (John Locher)
Fors also noted that California has been struggling to address its housing crisis for years, and displaced residents are struggling to find places to go after being evacuated from their homes.
“At the state level, I’m not sure the necessary efforts are being made.”
“(California Governor) Gavin Newsom “In 2020, a memorandum of understanding was reached with the U.S. Forest Service and they agreed that they were going to log… 500,000 acres of forest land per year,” Fors explained. “And that means doing controlled burns, because part of the problem with living in a place like California is that we are surrounded by wild lands. These wild lands accumulate brush, and that brush is incredibly dangerous. …So they came up with this memo of understanding: They were going to log 500,000 acres, but they’ve only logged about 100,000 a year.
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A helicopter drops water on the Palisades Fire in Mandeville Canyon, Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025, in Los Angeles. (Etienne Laurent)
Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony C. Marrone told reporters Saturday that his department is prepared for strong Santa Ana winds that could fan the flames into Wednesday.
“These winds, combined with dry air and dry vegetation, will keep the fire threat high in Los Angeles County,” Marrone said.
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People watch smoke and flames from the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood on January 7, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Tiffany Rose/Getty Images)
The Eaton Fire has burned 14,117 acres and is now 15% contained, with more than 7,000 structures damaged or destroyed. Marrone said 2,832 emergency personnel are deployed to fight the fire.
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Cal Fire Battalion Chief Todd Hopkins said the Palisades Fire is now at 21,596 acres and is 11% contained. A total of 5,316 structures have been destroyed by the fire, including 426 homes. More than 150,000 residents have been evacuated, he added.
Fox News’ Chris Pandolfo contributed to this report.
