The city of Los Angeles, a region frequently threatened by wildfires, faced an unprecedented crisis in 2024. As multiple wildfires devastated communities, attention turned to Mayor Karen Bass’s decision to reduce funding for the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) while significantly increasing the budget for homelessness initiatives. This controversial move, made amidst ongoing staffing and equipment shortages within the fire department, has left many questioning the city’s priorities and readiness to handle large-scale emergencies.
Cuts to the Fire Department
For the 2023–2024 fiscal year, the LAFD operated with a budget of $837 million, already stretched thin by growing demands for fire prevention and emergency response. However, for 2024–2025, that figure was reduced by $17.6 million, bringing the total to $819 million. Mayor Bass initially proposed cutting $23 million, though she later revised her plan following internal opposition.
This reduction came during a period of heightened wildfire activity across the state, exacerbating existing challenges within the department. In a memo to the Board of Fire Commissioners, LAFD Chief Kristin Crowley warned that the cuts would “severely limit the department’s capacity to prepare for, train for, and respond to large-scale emergencies, including wildfires”. These reductions impacted aerial firefighting operations, overtime funding, and critical training programs.
Critics argue that the cuts reflect a larger pattern of misaligned priorities within city governance. While fire department funding decreased, the Los Angeles Police Department saw its budget increased by $126 million for the same fiscal year, bringing their total allocation to over $3 billion. Meanwhile, funds for hiring new firefighters were reallocated to cover overtime expenses, leaving the department with fewer personnel during one of the city’s most severe crises.
Wildfires Ravage Los Angeles
The consequences of these budget cuts were starkly evident as wildfires engulfed large swathes of Los Angeles County in early 2025. The Eaton, Palisades, Woodley, and Hurst fires collectively claimed five lives, destroyed over 1,300 structures, and forced the evacuation of more than 30,000 residents. Among the hardest-hit areas was Malibu, where fierce winds fueled the flames and overwhelmed firefighting resources.
Firefighters faced dire circumstances, including dry hydrants that left entire neighborhoods vulnerable to destruction. “The firefighters are there, and there’s nothing they can do. This should never happen,” said Rick Caruso, a local business owner whose property was destroyed in the Palisades Fire. Fire Chief Crowley acknowledged the department’s struggles, noting that staffing shortages and underfunded operations had left the city ill-prepared to respond to such a large-scale disaster.
Adding to the city’s woes, state firefighting reserves were similarly stretched thin. California’s Department of Forestry and Fire Protection relies heavily on incarcerated workers, who comprise 30–40% of the firefighting force in some years. However, the COVID-19 pandemic had significantly reduced this workforce, compounding the crisis.
Homelessness Initiatives and Budget Priorities
Mayor Bass defended her budget decisions as part of a broader strategy to address homelessness in Los Angeles, where the unhoused population has grown to over 69,000. For the 2023–2024 fiscal year, the city allocated $1.3 billion to homelessness initiatives—nearly double the fire department’s budget. Critics, however, point out that an analysis revealed nearly half of these funds went unspent, raising questions about oversight and efficiency.
Bass described the 2024–2025 budget as a “reset” designed to prioritize essential services and align resources with long-term goals. “This budget continues our momentum toward change by prioritizing core city services,” she said in April 2024. Yet, many residents and officials argue that the balance between addressing homelessness and ensuring public safety has been poorly managed.
Some also questioned the administration’s ability to execute its homelessness initiatives effectively. While significant sums were allocated to supportive housing and social services, the unspent funds have left thousands of unhoused individuals in precarious situations. Meanwhile, communities ravaged by wildfires feel abandoned by city leadership during their most vulnerable moments.
Leadership Under Fire
The timing of the budget cuts and subsequent wildfires placed Mayor Bass under intense scrutiny. Public criticism grew louder as Bass attended an inauguration in Ghana during the peak of the wildfire crisis, leaving many residents feeling neglected. “How can the mayor be overseas when our city is burning?” one resident asked, echoing widespread frustration on social media.
The controversy surrounding the fire department budget also reignited allegations of mismanagement within the mayor’s office. An earlier investigation had scrutinized Bass’s receipt of a controversial scholarship from the University of Southern California while serving in Congress. Although she was cleared of wrongdoing, critics drew parallels to other corruption scandals that have plagued Los Angeles politics.
City Councilmember Bob Blumenfield defended the budget reductions as part of routine adjustments, citing a one-time expenditure on breathing equipment and fire suits as the reason for the apparent year-over-year decrease in funding. However, Fire Chief Crowley argued that the cuts extended beyond equipment purchases and posed long-term risks to the city’s emergency readiness. “We are in crisis mode within the Los Angeles Fire Department,” she said.
A Call for Accountability
The fires have amplified long-standing concerns about Los Angeles’s ability to manage natural disasters. Governor Gavin Newsom’s administration has faced similar criticism for failing to implement effective fire prevention measures, such as prescribed burns and fuel breaks. Environmental policies, including water conservation efforts to protect endangered species, have also been blamed for exacerbating water shortages that hinder firefighting efforts.
The ongoing crisis has sparked calls for greater accountability from city leadership. Residents and advocacy groups are demanding a reevaluation of budget priorities to ensure that essential services, such as fire and emergency response, receive adequate funding. Meanwhile, climate change continues to exacerbate the frequency and intensity of wildfires, highlighting the need for proactive solutions to protect vulnerable communities.
As Los Angeles rebuilds in the wake of the 2025 wildfires, the question remains: Can city leaders balance the urgent needs of a growing unhoused population with the critical demands of public safety? For many, the answer will determine the city’s resilience in the face of future crises.
