During an interview on Newsmax Wednesday, Rep. Vince Fong, R-Calif., criticized California's wildfire control, pointing to devastating fires in Los Angeles County as "real-world consequences" of the state government’s mismanagement.
Multiple fires burning across Los Angeles County have left two people dead, damaged more than 1,000 structures, and forced thousands to evacuate, according to Los Angeles County Fire Department Chief Anthony Marrone, CBS News reported Wednesday. The most destructive of these, the Palisades fire, exploded in size due to high winds, prompting the evacuation of at least 30,000 residents in Pacific Palisades.
Amid this devastation, Fong appeared on "The Chris Salcedo Show" to highlight what he described as California's systemic failures in wildfire management.
"Well, we need to, of course, hold California accountable," Fong said. "As someone who served with state Sen. [Suzette Martinez] Valladares, you know, we were on the front-lines in the state legislature pushing Gov. [Gavin] Newsom to undo the damage that he was doing when it came to wildfire management, when it came to investing in water infrastructure, [and] when it came to investing in first responders."
Fong emphasized the challenges faced by lawmakers in combating what he called resistance from California’s Democratic supermajority.
"We were fighting tooth and nail against that Democrat supermajority who just resisted every step of the way," he said.
The fires, Fong said, represent the tangible outcomes of years of mismanagement. "What we’re seeing in Los Angeles is truly devastating," he added. "This is, we see a lot of the real-world consequences of mismanagement in California."
Fueled by powerful winds, the Palisades Fire continues to rage northwest of Los Angeles. Additional fires, including the Eaton, Hurst, and Woodley fires, are also burning, further straining emergency services and first responders.
"Our focus is trying to help the first responders and the firefighters put that fire out and rebuild," Fong said.
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Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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