It should come as no surprise that the firefighters in Los Angeles received a direction to focus their efforts on the homes of the wealthy and famous. It’s likely that some of them questioned why they weren’t helping their fellow citizens. Based on my research, the American fire department has a military-like hierarchy very similar to that of Brazil. I can imagine the mayor of the affected city calling the head of the institution and issuing a direct order to prioritize wealthier areas.
Nicholas Norman, a 40-year-old professor and resident of Altadena, expressed his frustration:
“We didn’t see a single firefighter while we were tossing buckets of water to protect our house from the flames,” he said in an interview with AFP. The region started burning on Tuesday afternoon (7th), with strong winds spreading the flames.
He added, “They were too busy in Palisades saving the properties of the rich and famous, leaving us, the common folk, to burn.”
I wonder how many of those millionaires’ houses were saved despite not even being used as permanent residences by their owners. And I also question the real impact of some of them losing one of their properties, compared to teachers and other salaried workers potentially losing everything they have.
This kind of behavior is nothing new. Let us remember the case of the Titanic, perhaps one of the most infamous examples, where lifeboats were reserved for the wealthier passengers. These individuals calmly boarded the boats, which often descended into the sea half-empty to provide more comfort for those aboard.
Let’s also consider how the new pastime of the super-rich is space tourism, while countless people struggle to find their next meal. Examples of these disparities are endless.
UPDATE (12/01/2025):
After reading some more news related to the topic, I decided to update this text. In a piece of news from the Revolutionary Communists of America, I found information that firefighters have been unable to handle the situation, even in areas where they operate fully. To address this, the state of Los Angeles decided to use incarcerated labor to help extinguish the fires, paying them significantly less than the local minimum wage along with reducing days from their sentences as compensation for risking their lives. The training provided to them is minimal, consisting of only four days. Now, in addition to this, they are trying to use juvenile offenders to help fight the flames.
Adding to the problem, firefighters have encountered dry hydrants due to the privatization of water facilities, which ended the urban priority policy that existed in the city until 1994. This policy established that, in cases of drought, California’s water would be allocated first to urban centers for personal consumption and firefighting. Now, water is being diverted to local agricultural companies, which, despite representing only 2% of the state’s GDP, consume 80% of the available water.
Moreover, the mayor of Los Angeles decided to cut nearly $18 million from the Fire Department’s budget—this in a period when the state hasn’t seen rain for eight months.
Lastly, even with the water rationing imposed in the state, where each resident has a water quota, the rich and famous have been fined for maintaining consumption far above the allowed limit. For example, Kim Kardashian alone was fined for consuming 878.000 liters of water above her allocated quota. The same applies to other celebrities in the area. Ah, the rich… they have no idea what’s happening around them.
Bellow some links for s deep dive into the subject:
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