Two Republican senators hold hearing on Palisades Fire; blame local and state officials

PACIFIC PALISADES, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- It's been 10 months since the Palisades Fire, and anger and blame has resulted in numerous investigations, including one led by two Republican senators, Rick Scott of Florida and Ron Johnson of Wisconsin.

"I believe the Palisades Fire was more than a horrific tragedy. It was an unacceptable failure of government to protect the lives and property of our citizens, and we know this fire hurt our citizens more than anyone else," said Scott.

During a hearing Thursday in Pacific Palisades that was meant to examine the fire's impact on the elderly, the focus quickly shifted to blaming city and state officials - all Democrats.

"We have poured billions of dollars into California for fire prevention. What did they do with it? That's got to be a key element," said Johnson. "Any federal support has got to come with major strings attached to it to make sure this stuff can be prevented in the future."

At this point, the senators' investigation doesn't include the Eaton Fire.

When asked about that, Scott said they're open to expanding their investigation, but right now, the focus is Pacific Palisades.

"Trauma didn't stop when the fire went out. It stayed with us emotionally, financially, and generationally," said Palisades Fire victim Tom Doran.

"What happened on January 7 was a disaster. What has happened since proves that local government cannot handle our recovery," said Jessica Rogers, another victim. "We've been told the city has no funding to support us. We're still fighting for permit fee waivers 10 months after the fire."

At one point during Thursday's hearing, Johnson threatened to use his subpoena power to get answers, encouraging whistleblowers to come forward.

How those efforts would help residents rebuild remains unclear.

As part of their investigation, the senators have asked the city of Los Angeles to produce records on DEI hiring policies at the fire department and LADWP's work related to the Santa Ynez reservoir. It also calls for details on the firing of former LAFD Chief Kristin Crowley.

When asked, Scott said they've received some of what they asked for but not enough.