Latest news with #HurstFire
CBS News
19-05-2025
- General
- CBS News
Construction worker rescued from trench at L.D. Bell High School in Hurst
A construction worker was rescued from a trench at the construction site of the new L.D. Bell High School in Hurst on Monday. Paramedics and fire crews from Hurst Fire responded to the call just after 4:30 p.m. Paramedics were able to climb down into the trench and provide assistance to the worker before loading them into a basket and lifting them out of the trench. CareFlite also responded and transported the worker to a nearby trauma center. The extent of the person's injuries is currently unknown. Construction crews have been working to build a new L.D. Bell High School in the parking lot behind the current school. The new high school is expected to open in the fall of 2027 or 2028.
Axios
03-03-2025
- Climate
- Axios
Major SoCal storm triggers evacuation orders in LA County amid flood threats
A powerful atmospheric river -linked storm that began slamming Southern California on Wednesday prompted evacuation orders in Los Angeles County amid flood threats to burn scars from wildfires that erupted in January. Threat level: Flood and flash flood watches and high-wind advisories have been issued across Southern California. Zoom in: With the worst of the "significant storm system" set to hit Thursday with heavy rains and gusty winds, Santa Barbara County said on X an evacuation order was also issued for properties associated with a burn scar from the 2024 Lake Fire due to the potential for "flash flooding, debris flow." In LA County, evacuation warnings were also set to take effect from 7am Thursday through 2pm Friday "due to high mudslide and debris flow risk," according to a statement posted on the LA Fire Department's website. Among the recently burned areas that the LAFD notes are "especially susceptible to heavy rain" are those affected by the destructive Palisades Fire, including around the Getty Villa art museum, the Sunset Fire in the Hollywood Hills and the Hurst Fire in the San Fernando Valley. Situation report: Ahead of the storm, California Gov. Gavin Newsom directed teams to take emergency measures to prevent debris flows from burn scar areas, with up to 2 inches of rainfall expected in some places. The Cal OES Watershed and Debris Flow Task Force has "installed emergency protection materials," including straw wattles, compost silt socks, and silt fences "to contain hazardous materials from the Eaton and Palisades Fires from entering LA's creeks, rivers, and other bodies of water," per a Monday statement from the governor's office. The task force "is coordinating locally requested materials such as K-rails to divert debris flow and has completed debris basin clean-up activities over the last month to mitigate potential impacts in vulnerable areas," the statement added. Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District said all Malibu schools would be closed Thursday and possibly Friday "due to road closures and weather concerns." What to expect: While only light precipitation was expected on Wednesday evening, periods of moderate to heavy rain were forecast Thursday followed by scattered showers into Friday morning, per a National Weather Service LA forecast discussion. UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain noted in a Wednesday blog post that while the "whole region should see a good soaking, the SoCal mountains will see widespread 3-6 inch totals (locally higher), and that does include most of the major recent fire footprints." Thunderstorms were expected to hit Southern California from noon to 10pm Thursday and rainfall rates of just over 1" per hour were expected across parts of Santa Barbara County and Ventura Counties, according to the NWS LA. "However, any location is susceptible to rain rates between a half and one inch per hour, especially during the peak of the event when convection is most likely," it added. Meanwhile, heavy snow in addition to the rains was forecast in the Sierra Nevada. Between the lines: Southern California had already been hit by " hydroclimate whiplash" from very wet to drought conditions ahead of the atmospheric river. Swain said while it has "finally rained" in Southern California this winter, "nearly the entire region remains woefully behind average." Human-caused climate change is leading to more frequent and intense extreme precipitation events, research shows. Go deeper: Climate change made LA fires far more likely, study says Editor's note: This article has been updated with new details throughout.
USA Today
28-02-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
Former Los Angeles fire chief appeals controversial ousting that came in wake of wildfires
Former Los Angeles fire chief appeals controversial ousting that came in wake of wildfires Mayor Karen Bass fired Kristin Crowley late last week, saying it was 'in the best interests of Los Angeles' public safety.' Crowley's defenders say the firing was political and uncalled for. Show Caption Hide Caption L.A.'s wildfires have only intensified the city's decades-long housing crisis Where will people live now and at what cost? LOS ANGELES − Former Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley is appealing her controversial firing at the hands of Mayor Karen Bass, according to local reports. Crowley notified the city council about the appeal on Thursday, just under a week since Bass fired her in the wake of devastating wildfires that killed dozens of people and burned thousands of homes in the region. Bass said in a statement that the move was "in the best interests of Los Angeles' public safety," a rationale that Crowley's supporters questioned. It would take two-thirds of the council's 15 members to overturn the firing. "I look forward to hearing from you about next steps, if any," Crowley wrote in an email to councilmembers obtained by the Los Angeles Times. Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez called for Crowley to appeal the decision earlier this week, telling USA TODAY that it would give residents an opportunity for transparency. "We have an obligation to protect the people of Los Angeles and have the right people at the helm making good and thoughtful decisions," Rodriguez said. "It shouldn't be a political decision." Bass spokesperson Zach Seidl said in a statement to USA TODAY Thursday that: "Former Chief Crowley has the right to appeal her dismissal." Crowley's appeal to face uphill battle Four of the 15 council members, including city council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson, stood with Bass at a news conference after she announced the firing. Harris-Dawson told City News Service that he wanted Crowley fired, saying that he was not fully informed during the devastating firestorm that killed dozens and burned thousands of homes in the Los Angeles region in January. 'I was acting mayor at the time and I was not getting a flow of information from the chief during that time period,' Harris-Dawson told the outlet. 'Frankly, I did not talk to her until I showed up to a press conference at 4 o'clock that afternoon of the fire.' Deputy Fire Chief Jason Hing had told Crowley that he messaged Harris-Dawson about the city's fire deployment, preparations and their need for more resources, according to phone messages obtained by KTLA-TV. Rodriguez, whose district includes areas affected by the one of the blazes, told USA TODAY that Crowley contacted her when the 800-acre Hurst Fire started. The councilwoman also called the mayor's rationale around Crowley not participating in an after-action report "not accurate." "Everything that I know about Chief Crowley and everything that I know about ... her participation and cooperation in every single (after action-report), it was just out of character for the standard operating procedures that occurred with every major incident," Rodriguez said. Councilmember Bob Blumenfeld told the Times that Bass "has the right to hire and fire whom she wishes." Blumenfeld and Harris-Dawson did not immediately respond to USA TODAY's requests for comment about the appeal Thursday. Firing stokes criticisms of fire budget management Explaining the firing, Bass cited a report from the Los Angeles Times saying that fire officials decided not to assign roughly 1,000 available firefighters and dozens of water-carrying engines for emergency deployment in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood before the fires broke out. Rodriguez called that rationale a "gotcha," and said that the availability of apparatus necessary for the available firefighters would be uncovered in an investigation. The United Firefighters of Los Angeles City Local 112 echoed Rodriguez's assessment of the firing in a statement to USA TODAY, saying that she was dismissed without a full investigation. "We still have nearly 100 broken down fire engines, trucks, and ambulances in the maintenance yard because of civilian mechanic job cuts," the union said. "This is a city that has neglected its fire department and can't even pay our firefighters correctly for the work that we perform every single day." Bass has been dogged by criticisms of how she managed the fire budget in the year before the wind-driven fires that burned for weeks. Budget documents previously obtained by USA TODAY show that the Los Angeles Fire Department's budget was reduced from $837 million in fiscal year 2024 to $819 million in fiscal year 2025 as a part of broader cuts for the year. "LAFD's operating budget did get reduced by $17.6 million - part of that reduction included 61 total positions (civilian) being eliminated," the city's controller's office said in comments sent to USA TODAY accompanying the documents. Crowley spoke out against the budget cuts in television interviews during the emergency, echoing warnings she made to the fire commission in December. "The $17 million budget cut and elimination of our civilian positions, like our mechanics, did and has and will continue to severely impact our ability to repair our apparatus," Crowley said on CNN. Tensions between Crowley and Bass nearly hit a boiling point after the interviews, and the mayor's office had to deny rumors that Crowley had been fired during a meeting between the two on Jan. 10. Bass' travel put back in spotlight after firing Bass was out of the country as the Pacific Palisades caught fire, having left on a diplomatic trip to attend the inauguration of Ghana's president. "She knew that we had a major wind event coming up that had the potential for a wildfire," Tom Doran, who fled the Palisades Fire that destroyed his home, told USA TODAY in January. "She's off in another country, and at the taxpayer's expense, when she should've been here ... She is the chief executive of Los Angeles. Yes, she delegates but if you delegate you're the one in charge." In an interview on local Fox program "The Issue Is," Bass claimed that Crowley failed to notify her about the coming fire danger and that she was not aware of warnings made before the firestorm. Days before the fires broke out, the National Weather Service forecasted the fire weather, warning residents: "A LIFE-THREATENING, DESTRUCTIVE, Widespread Windstorm." Rodriguez said that she was aware of the danger ahead of the fires through multiple media outlets and that the responsibility of notifying the mayor fell on the Emergency Management Department − not on the fire chief. Bass' office stood by the firing in a statement to USA TODAY on Monday, pointing to the off-duty firefighters and saying: "Bringing new leadership to the fire department is what our city needs."
Associated Press
27-02-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
$50 Billion Fire Lawsuit Filed by Lawyers for Justice, PC Against Southern California Edison on Behalf of All Evacuees and Individuals Who Suffered Emotional Distress
LOS ANGELES, Feb. 26, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Harold Christian Roche, a former child model turned reputable tailor and designer of clothes for the well-heeled and influential members of California society, has filed a class action lawsuit against Southern California Edison and Edison International to hold them jointly and severally liable for causing the Eaton Fire and Hurst Fire. He alleges that the devastating fires were caused by defendants' negligence, misconduct, and wrongdoing, that defendants violated applicable statutory, regulatory, reasonable, and/or professional standards of care, and that defendants are liable for Negligence, Negligence Per Se, Negligent Interference with Prospective Economic Advantage, Inverse Condemnation, Premises Liability, Trespass, Private Nuisance, Public Nuisance, Violation of California Public Utilities Code § 2106, Violation of California Health and Safety Code § 13007, and Violation of California Business and Professions Code § 17200, et seq.. For example, Mr. Roche alleges that defendants failed to de-energize their power lines on the fateful evening of January 7, 2025, when the fires were ignited; failed to engage in adequate vegetation management; improperly classified major categories of spending as safety related, when in fact they did not relate to safety; engaged in and/or allowed pole overloading; and failed to adequately design, construct, inspect, monitor, maintain, replace, and modernize their aging electrical infrastructure and to bring their operations into compliance with modern standards, use, and needs, to protect public safety. Mr. Roche seeks to represent individuals and business who are victims of the fires, and seeks monetary damages, according to proof, which he contemplates amount to at least $50 billion, as well as injunctive and other relief. Mr. Roche has hired one of the nation's most accomplished legal teams, comprising the class action attorneys at Lawyers for Justice, PC, to represent him. The attorneys have successfully litigated over 1,000 class actions in the last decade alone. Mr. Roche's case stands out because most of the other cases that have been filed regarding the fires do not seek class certification or relief on a class-wide basis; these other lawsuits have elected not to seek class relief and to only seek relief on an individual basis by seeking to join individual lawsuits under the rules of joinder.
USA Today
25-02-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
'A political decision': Los Angeles official slams mayor's ousting of fire chief
'A political decision': Los Angeles official slams mayor's ousting of fire chief Show Caption Hide Caption Los Angeles fire officials fielded questions, concerns in town hall Emotions ran high inside a packed theater in Malibu, California, as Palisades Fire victims had a chance to press officials. Los Angeles City Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez is calling for former Fire Chief Kristin Crowley to appeal her firing by Mayor Karen Bass. Rodriguez argues that Crowley's firing was "scapegoating" and questions if the mayor's stated reasons for the dismissal were legitimate. Bass defends the firing, stating that it was in the best interest of public safety and that new leadership is needed in the fire department. LOS ANGELES − A Los Angeles city councilwoman is calling for former fire Chief Kristin Crowley to appeal her controversial firing by Mayor Karen Bass, telling USA TODAY in an interview on Monday that the ousting isn't making the fire-ravaged area any safer. Bass fired Crowley on Friday, saying in a statement that she made the move "in the best interests of Los Angeles' public safety." Bass pointed to Crowley's leadership during the devastating firestorm that killed dozens and burned thousands of homes in the Los Angeles region in January. Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez, whose district includes areas affected by the one of the blazes (the 800-acre Hurst Fire), said in a statement Friday that Crowley's firing was "scapegoating." "It was really distasteful and inaccurate to suggest that this was going to better public safety," Rodriguez told USA TODAY. "To suggest that she failed to do her job given that there were limitations on resources that she (Crowley) had pointed out." Rodriguez questioned if Bass' stated reasons for the firing were legitimate and that an appeal would provide the city an opportunity to transparently examine the action. "We have an obligation to protect the people of Los Angeles and have the right people at the helm making good and thoughtful decisions," Rodriguez said. "It shouldn't be a political decision." The former fire chief hasn't said whether she will appeal but told KNBC on Saturday that: "It has been an absolute honor to represent and lead the men and women of one of the greatest fire departments in the world." Crowley has the option to appeal within 10 days of her firing, or March 3. It would take two-thirds of the council's 15 members to overturn the firing. Firing stokes criticisms of fire budget management Explaining the firing, Bass cited a report from the Los Angeles Times saying that fire officials decided not to assign roughly 1,000 available firefighters and dozens of water-carrying engines for emergency deployment in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood before the fires broke out. Rodriguez called that rationale a "gotcha," and said that the availability of apparatus necessary for the available firefighters would be uncovered in an investigation. The United Firefighters of Los Angeles City Local 112 echoed Rodriguez's assessment of the firing in a statement to USA TODAY, saying that she was dismissed without a full investigation. "We still have nearly 100 broken down fire engines, trucks, and ambulances in the maintenance yard because of civilian mechanic job cuts," the union said. "This is a city that has neglected its fire department and can't even pay our firefighters correctly for the work that we perform every single day." Bass has been dogged by criticisms of how she managed the fire budget in the year before the wind-driven fires that burned for weeks, killed at least 28 people and destroyed more than 15,000 structures. Budget documents previously obtained by USA TODAY show that the Los Angeles Fire Department's budget was reduced from $837 million in fiscal year 2024 to $819 million in fiscal year 2025 as a part of broader cuts for the year. "LAFD's operating budget did get reduced by $17.6 million - part of that reduction included 61 total positions (civilian) being eliminated," the city's controller's office said in comments sent to USA TODAY accompanying the documents. Crowley spoke out against the budget cuts in television interviews during the emergency, echoing warnings she made to the fire commission in December. "The $17 million budget cut and elimination of our civilian positions, like our mechanics, did and has and will continue to severely impact our ability to repair our apparatus," Crowley said on CNN. Tensions between Crowley and Bass nearly hit a boiling point after the interviews, and the mayor's office had to deny rumors that Crowley had been fired during a meeting between the two on Jan. 10. Councilmember pushes back on notification after-action report claims Bass was out of the country as the Palisades caught fire, having left on a diplomatic trip to attend the inauguration of Ghana's President John Dramani Mahama. "She knew that we had a major wind event coming up that had the potential for a wildfire," Tom Doran, who fled the Palisades Fire that destroyed his home told USA TODAY in January. "She's off in another country, and at the taxpayer's expense, when she should've been here ... She is the chief executive of Los Angeles. Yes, she delegates but if you delegate you're the one in charge." In an interview on local Fox program "The Issue Is," Bass claimed that Crowley failed to notify her about the coming fire danger and that she was not aware of warnings made before the firestorm. Days before the fires broke out, the National Weather Service forecasted the fire weather, warning residents: "A LIFE-THREATENING, DESTRUCTIVE, Widespread Windstorm." Rodriguez said that she was aware of the danger ahead of the fires through multiple media outlets and that the responsibility of notifying the mayor fell on the Emergency Management Department − not on the fire chief. The councilwoman called the mayor's rationale around Crowley not participating in an after-action report, "not accurate." "Everything that I know about Chief Crowley and everything that I know about ... her participation and cooperation in every single (after action-report), it was just out of character for the standard operating procedures that occurred with every major incident," Rodriguez said. Bass' office stood by the firing in a statement to USA TODAY on Monday, pointing to the off-duty firefighters and saying: "Bringing new leadership to the fire department is what our city needs." City Council president Marqueece Harris-Dawson told City News Service Monday that he wanted Crowley fired. 'I was one who was encouraging the mayor to separate with the chief weeks ago,' said Harris-Dawson, whose district in central Los Angeles was not in any immediate danger from the fires. 'I was acting mayor at the time and I was not getting a flow of information from the chief during that time period,' Harris-Dawson told the outlet. 'Frankly, I did not talk to her until I showed up to a press conference at 4 o'clock that afternoon of the fire.'
