US: Experts debunk five claims about LA wildfires

As ‘devastating’ wildfires continue to spread across Southern California, experts claim that misinformation has also been circulating at alarming rates.

Here are five key claims about the fires and the response, with factual clarifications provided by experts and officials:

1. Claim: Gov. Newsom’s policies are to blame for Water Shortages for Hydrants
   This claim is said to be  false and lacks context. President-elect Donald Trump recently suggested that Gov. Gavin Newsom’s policies caused fire hydrants to run dry. Experts, however, explain that hydrants are part of local water distribution networks, and the issue stemmed from the sheer scale of the fires. Jay Lund, a professor at UC Davis, explained, “There’s no shortage of water in Southern California, but there was a shortage of water in the areas that had the fires because the storage they had locally in the neighborhoods, in the towns, was not enough for the event.” Furthermore, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) confirmed that water pressure dropped due to unprecedented demand, not a water shortage.

2. Claim: Gov. Newsom Didn’t Sign a “Water Restoration Declaration”
   This claim is also said to be false. Trump claimed that Newsom did not sign a document that would have enabled the state to restore water from northern California. However, Newsom’s press office responded, stating, “There is no such document as the water restoration declaration – that is pure fiction.” Experts, including Ashley Overhouse from Defenders of Wildlife, confirmed that no such declaration was ever put before the governor.

3. Claim: There’s “No Money” in FEMA
   Trump’s assertion that FEMA is out of money is claimed to be untrue. In December, Congress passed a bill that allocated $100 billion for disaster aid, including $29 billion for FEMA’s disaster relief fund. FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell also visited Los Angeles to meet with officials and ensure recovery efforts were underway. A FEMA spokesperson clarified, “The current balance of the Disaster Relief Fund is approximately $27 billion,” reaffirming that FEMA has adequate resources to respond to the fires.

4. Claim: DEI Initiatives in the Los Angeles Fire Department Harmed Firefighting Efforts
   Some critics have claimed that the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) at the expense of firefighting resources. However, racial equity experts, including Shaun Harper from USC, strongly refute this claim, stating, “I find it to be disgustingly opportunistic” and noting there is no evidence that DEI initiatives detracted from the department’s ability to fight fires. Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley also mentioned that budget cuts, not DEI programs, affected the department’s capacity.

5. Claim: Protecting Delta Smelt Limited Water for Firefighting
   Trump suggested that protecting the delta smelt, an endangered fish species, limited water availability for firefighting. However, experts dispute this claim, emphasizing that the regulations governing the Bay-Delta estuary, where the smelt lives, account for only a small fraction of the region’s water outflow. Ashley Overhouse from Defenders of Wildlife stated, “The claim that Delta smelt protections are limiting the amount of water exported to southern California has no merit whatsoever.” Even the most protective regulations only account for about 1.2% of additional Bay-Delta outflow.
   
   (ABC NEWS)

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