There is a lot of anguish on social media about the "defunded LA Fire Department". It takes about one minute of research to learn that the current LAFD budget is 7% higher than last year's budget, with most of the increase going to higher salaries. Approximately 1.7% of budget savings included the elimination of unfilled civilian positions. The Fire Chief is saying response has been hampered by a lack of funding for training, etc., which doesn't make a lot of sense, given the fact this budget was only implemented in November, and when you consider the fact that she has been clamoring for awhile now that the city nearly double its number of fire stations, equipment, and personnel, you get the feeling she's not exactly impartial. (Not that the city has all the fire personnel and equipment it may need, this is a problem nationwide, but there isn't some recent reduction in any of that infrastructure or personnel.)
And then you have the most obvious question: if LAFD is incapable of dealing with this tragedy because of recent budget slashing (again, didn't happen), then how does that explain the Eaton fire, which is being fought by LA County FD and Pasadena FD? Were they affected by (nonexistent) LAFD budget cuts?
The need to make everything political is a beating. Yes, I get the irony. Regardless, this is Mother Nature doing her thing in the midst of a years-long extreme drought.