There are countless elected officials at the local, state, and federal level who are responsible with keeping Americans safe. And because they’ve been elected to do so, it shouldn’t be a far-fetched idea that they operate in this role with minimal issue. Sure, there will be tumultuous times while serving to protect one’s constituents, but there shouldn’t be a high level of incompetence shown either.

Unfortunately that’s all we see nowadays from those who we elect to serve us. Our politicians will far too often get caught up in bureaucratic red tape when putting together policies that would help the overall well-being of Americans. Not only that, but it seems as though some politicians these days aren’t all that interested in doing their job as they are in making a profit for themselves and their families.

That simply leads to a corrupt and inefficient government that doesn’t care about the people. And certainly no one likes an inefficient government. That truth is especially amplified when lives are at stake, like what’s happening with the Palisades wildfire in California. Countless homes have been burnt to the ground and some have lost their lives from the fires.

But now it’s coming out that these fires could have been handled much better if the Los Angeles area was properly prepared. There’s reports from the area that water isn’t available in the fire hydrants. Does this sound like a city that was prepared for one of the worst wildfires in their history? Gross incompetence is yet again proving to rear its ugly head among government officials and the people have had enough.

Poorly Run Government In LA Enhances Scope Of Wildfire Disaster

As Los Angeles firefighters confronted the most devastating blaze in the city’s history, an unthinkable problem arose: there wasn’t enough water. According to the Los Angeles Times one firefighter announced over the radio that “the hydrants are down.” Another voice followed: “Water supply just dropped.” In one of LA’s most affluent and picturesque neighborhoods, Pacific Palisades, fire crews were left powerless to stop entire blocks from being consumed. Flames swept through the area late Tuesday into early Wednesday, reducing homes and businesses to rubble in mere hours.

“There’s no water in the fire hydrants,” Rick Caruso, owner of the Palisades Village mall, told local reporters. “The firefighters are there, and there’s nothing they can do — we’ve got neighborhoods burning, homes burning, and businesses burning. … It should never happen.” The disaster highlighted years of mismanagement and systemic dysfunction in Los Angeles’ water infrastructure. A combination of operational blunders, high-profile corruption, and failed leadership left the city’s firefighting efforts hamstrung just when they were needed most.

Fanned by powerful Santa Ana winds, the Pacific Palisades fire leveled over 1,000 buildings and scorched 16,000 acres—an area larger than Manhattan. By Wednesday evening, not a single acre had been contained. As the flames spread, so did public outrage. Three simultaneous fires wreaked havoc across Los Angeles County, leaving five dead, causing injuries to others, and forcing 70,000 people to flee their homes. Many residents were furious, directing their anger at local and state leaders for allowing this preventable disaster to escalate.

To make matters worse, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass was overseas in Ghana when the fires erupted. She returned mid-crisis after facing backlash, particularly for approving an $18 million cut to the fire department last year. “RESIGN! WHY ARE YOU IN GHANA?!,” one exasperated commenter wrote on an X post from Bass’ office. One local spoke to Fox News, saying, “I’m born and raised in Los Angeles, I spend my life worrying about when the earthquakes come, when the Santa Ana winds come. I plan my trips around this. For someone to be in charge of my town … where were you?”

California Governor Gavin Newsom also found himself under fire. Critics blamed his administration for years of inadequate wildfire prevention measures. Decades of poor forestry management, lax enforcement of fire safety standards, and bureaucratic red tape had left the state dangerously exposed to recurring wildfire seasons. The Pacific Palisades blaze exposed the fragility of LA’s water infrastructure. According to Janisse Quiñones, head of the Department of Water and Power, and what he told the Los Angeles Times, firefighters’ water use was four times higher than normal during the first 15 hours of the fire. Despite having 114 massive storage tanks designed to maintain water pressure, three key reservoirs serving the Palisades ran dry within hours. Once those tanks were empty, hydrant pressure dropped to unusable levels.

Criticism of California’s leadership extended to President-elect Donald Trump, who blasted Governor Newsom for prioritizing environmental regulations over human safety. Trump has long accused Newsom of failing to manage the state’s water supply properly and neglecting critical forest management practices, such as clearing dead vegetation and performing controlled burns. “He wanted to protect an essentially worthless fish called a smelt… but didn’t care about the people of California,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, referring to Newsom’s opposition to redirecting water supplies from Northern California to the south.

While Newsom often touts his wildfire prevention efforts, a 2021 investigation conducted by CapRadio and NPR’s California Newsroom revealed that his administration had exaggerated progress on critical initiatives like fuel breaks and prescribed burns by over 690%. These failures have left California residents paying the price year after year.

But the dysfunction doesn’t stop at wildfire management—it permeates LA’s water utility system. Over the past decade, two of the department’s three general managers have resigned amid scandals. One was accused of mismanaging $40 million, while another, David Wright, was sentenced to six years in prison for accepting bribes. Mayor Bass herself faced scrutiny for removing Cynthia Ruiz, the department’s first Native American commissioner, after less than a year on the job. This occurred despite Bass bragging about using DEI (Diversity Equity and Inclusion) practices to hire people.

These systemic failures do more than exacerbate short-term crises; they create conditions for disasters to repeat and worsen. Experts have long warned that Los Angeles’ aging infrastructure, combined with political mismanagement, leaves the city woefully unprepared for emergencies like wildfires. Yet meaningful reforms remain elusive. The government’s inability to plan for the predictable—whether it’s wind-driven fires, drought, or the ever-present threat of earthquakes—prolongs suffering and compounds damage. Instead of proactively addressing vulnerabilities in water systems, leaders have often responded with finger-pointing and short-term fixes that fail to address root causes.

For residents, the message is clear: they’re on their own. Whether it’s fighting fires with shovels or fleeing without warning, Los Angeles citizens are left to bear the consequences of Democrat leadership that prioritizes political optics over preparedness. As future wildfires are inevitable, experts say California’s lack of foresight will only deepen the crisis. Without a serious overhaul of infrastructure, accountability, and emergency planning, these natural disasters will remain not only a recurring tragedy but an indictment of governance gone wrong.

How would you rate the job California’s government has done with managing these wildfires? Is this another example of incompetence being displayed by elected officials? Let us know in the comments down below!