The wildfire crisis in Los Angeles prompted the fire chief to ask homeless people to stop lighting fires to warm themselves.
Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone made the comments while updating reporters on the Pacific Palisades fire and the Eaton fire, two of the largest fires of the four raging through the Southern California region.
‘Anybody who is a person experiencing homelessness should be seeking shelter.’
Marrone said that some power had been shut off to residents in order to prevent further fires from sparking from knocked down electrical lines.
“I ask all Los Angeles County residents in wildfire-prone areas to understand that the necessary public safety power shutoffs are gonna prevent our next fire from starting if we have downed power lines,” he explained.
“I ask that our unhoused neighbors not have warming fires,” he said. “Anybody who is a person experiencing homelessness should be seeking shelter through the County of Los Angeles or the City of Los Angeles.”
Video of Marrone’s comments was posted to social media where he was mocked and ridiculed by many.
“’Asking’ literal methheads burning random crap politely to stop their arson using all the woke buzz words epitomizes all the problems in California,” read one response.
“This way of thinking is why LA is burning and why it is deteriorating,” replied another critic.
“Meth heads don’t watch news. Need to send LAPD patrol and deputies to let them know they’ll be arrested for arson,” said another detractor.
“How about junkies and hobos stop lighting fires and burning down our cities/state or you’re going to JAIL,” offered one critic.
Twenty-four people have died, and there are 16 other people who are missing. More than 12,000 homes and businesses have burned to the ground. Local lawmakers have been lambasted over reports documenting incompetence that has stifled the emergency response and worsened the devastating disaster.
“This has been an absolutely unprecedented event for the L.A. County Fire Department,” said Marrone in an interview with CBS News.
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