California’s annual wildfires follow a pattern: wet fall and winter months spur plant growth; arid summers turn trees, brush and grass into tinder-dry fuel, primed for ignition by lightning, sparks, careless campers and arsonists; strong, gusty Santa Ana winds fan flames into infernos.

Most critical, poor to nonexistent local, state and federal forest management result in far too many skinny, thirsty trees per acre, millions of diseased and dead trees left uncleared, and forest floors covered in brush and debris. It’s a recipe for disaster.

The 2018 Paradise Fire had been the most destructive and deadly in California history. But the multiple fires still burning uncontrollably near Los Angeles this year have already set records for the value of property destroyed, because so many were multi-million-dollar homes.

The 2025 fires have already reduced more than 12,000 homes and other buildings to ash, chimneys and concrete foundations. Dozens of people have died. The numbers are still climbing. AccuWeather’s loss forecasters say the Palisades and Eaton Fires alone will destroy property worth $135-150 billion.

How is this possible?

Incompetence, negligence, malfeasance and indifference appear to run rampant in local, state and federal government. Elected officials and bureaucrats not only learned nothing from hundreds of wildfires.

They repeatedly give climate change, fish and forest preservation, DEI hiring and other progressive ideologies precedence over their most fundamental responsibility: safeguarding constituents against fires, earthquakes, and mudslides triggered by recurrent downpours.

Altadena, Malibu and Pacific Palisades are surrounded by Topanga State Park and Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area forestlands, where timber harvesting and thinning have been delayed, restricted or prohibited for decades.

Unprecedented fuel buildup is the primary reason wildfires have become dramatically more catastrophic than in the past. Just getting one forest-thinning project approved takes five years and millions of dollars in studies. Lawsuits, inadequate budgets and “let nature run its course” attitudes delay work even longer, while massive wildfires incinerate water and biotic resources they claim to be protecting.  

Resistance to building more water storage and transport projects, often to protect insignificant species like the delta smelt, means insufficient water to fight fires – or keep storage tanks full and hydrants working.

Claiming older forests are increasingly threatened by climate change, President Biden greatly restricted tree thinning in national forests, before curtailing the policy as California fires raged. Meanwhile, California’s 2020 wildfires alone released twice as many greenhouse gases into the atmosphere as state-mandated fossil-fuel restrictions on vehicles and electricity power plants reduced 2003-2019.

Governor Gavin Newsom and his solidly Democrat legislature intend to spend some $50 million to challenge Trump Administration policies, and a measly $2.6 billion on “forest and wildfire resilience.” Meanwhile, they plan to spend another $14.7 billion on zero-emission vehicles and the “clean” energy transition, billions more on the already $100-billion “bullet train,” and additional tens of billions on wind and solar projects.

They’ve also driven insurance companies out of the state, by restricting risk analyses and what they can charge for home insurance in high-fire-risk areas, leaving hundreds of thousands of families uninsured or dependent on the state’s FAIR Plan, which in June 2024 had only $385 million in reserves.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass cut $17.6 million from the Fire Department budget, suspended or fired over 100 firefighters who refused to get Covid vaccines, and flew to Ghana for an inauguration amid the fire season. LA Fire Department Chief Kristin Crowley has criticized these actions but spent millions on DEI programs and hiring more women, gays and minorities.

Capping it off, LA Water and Power Department CEO Janisse Quiñones drained the 117-million-gallon Santa Ynez Reservoir that would have replenished Pacific Palisades’ three-million-gallon water storage tanks that firefighters relied on to supply water to battle the infernos. Fire hydrants and hoses went dry.

Cracks in the reservoir’s concrete floor required repairs. However, drainage began in February 2024, and no workers, equipment or materials were on-hand for 24/7 repair work once the reservoir was empty. In fact, no contractor was hired until November 2024! 

What can citizens do? Fire these incompetent elected officials and unelected bureaucrats. End “woke” DEI policy supremacy. Hire people who care enough to focus on fundamental responsibilities.

Recognize that Santa-Ana-powered wildfires can carry huge flaming branches hundreds of yards and even a mile or more. Plan and prepare accordingly.

Fix reservoirs and build new ones, to capture wet-season rains for dry seasons. For coastal communities like Malibu, consider using seawater for firefighting and buy the necessary equipment. (Would such limited saltwater really ruin soils? Do firefighters really need freshwater or treated potable water?)

Develop codes for homes and buildings, to make them fireproof or at least fire-resistant.

Do what the Getty Villa and several neighbors did in Malibu: have fire hoses, fire-retardant gel and other equipment on hand ahead of fires; clear brush and limit tree numbers and heights around you; develop a plan and practice executing it – so that you can save your homes, businesses and lives.

Have evacuation plans, bugout bags, and fully fueled cars ahead of time, to at least save your lives.

And ignore politicians, media hacks and activists who blame climate change. Baloney.

Earth’s climate has changed throughout geologic and human history. We cannot separate natural from manmade factors, control natural forces, or regulate soaring greenhouse emissions from China, India and other countries. We must do what our ancestors did during the Little Ice Age and other periods:

Adapt to warming and other changes – and prepare for fires that threaten us every year.

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Craig Rucker is president of the Committee For A Constructive Tomorrow (www.CFACT.org)