West
My house almost burned down in the Palisades fire. Alleged arsonist is not who I blame
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The Trump administration’s Department of Justice and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) announced they had determined the cause of the Pacific Palisades fire and arrested an alleged arsonist. Previously, local officials had said the cause was unknown but may have been caused by fireworks.
As a Palisades resident whose home was damaged but survived the fire, I hope whoever is guilty goes to jail for a long time. However, let there be no mistake, he was not the one responsible for the town of Pacific Palisades burning to the ground. The brunt of that responsibility lies with California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass.
Newsom has failed to properly manage the state’s forests, leaving them dangerously overgrown with the brush that fuels the fires. Rather than taking swift action to clear them, Newsom seems to relish in blaming climate change after each devastating fire. After the Palisades fire, he said, “The hots are getting a lot hotter. Dries are getting a lot drier. The wets are getting a lot wetter. That’s climate change.”
ARREST MADE IN CONNECTION TO DEADLY PACIFIC PALISADES FIRE, SOURCES SAY
Bass has shown her utter disregard of her duties as mayor. During her campaign, she said if elected, “I would not travel internationally. The only places I would go would be DC, Sacramento, San Francisco and New York in relation to LA.” Yet, she left the country five times, including her now infamous trip to Ghana while LA was under a Fire Weather Watch from the National Weather Service (which quickly became a Red Flag Warning the next day) in order to attend the inauguration of the president of Ghana. She was at a cocktail party when she learned of the fire.
It is bad enough to violate a campaign pledge, but to do so at a dangerous time, and for something that has absolutely nothing to do with her job as mayor, is inexcusable. She is the mayor of the second-largest city in the U.S., but does not seem to appreciate the responsibility that comes with the job. (This was her second inauguration party outside the country; she also attended the Mexican president’s inauguration.)
Bass is also to blame because her DEI hiring practices put less qualified people into critical positions in charge of protecting the safety of city residents. These positions included the deputy mayor of public safety, the fire chief, and the head of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP), all of whom let down the city. She proudly states on her website her commitment “to make sure our administration truly reflects the full diversity of the people of Los Angeles,” rather than a commitment to hire the best and brightest.
Thanks to the feds, we now know conclusively that the fire, and its spread, was utterly preventable. The ATF has determined that the January 7 fire was a re-ignition of a very small fire created by the arsonist on New Year’s Day. The fire only burned eight acres, and the arsonist even called 911 immediately after starting it. However, anyone knowledgeable about brush fires knows that just because you put it out does not mean it cannot reignite, especially when dealing with overgrown brush.
The ATF special agent on the case, Kenny Cooper, reported that “the fire burned deep within the ground, in roots and in structures, and remained active for several days.” He reported that when he worked at a state forestry agency, “we would have a lightning strike, and it would hit a tree, and it would burn for days, sometimes weeks, and then ignite into a forest fire. We would go suppress that, and then every day, for weeks on end, we would patrol those areas to make sure they didn’t reignite.”
Flames from the Palisades Fire burn a building on Sunset Boulevard amid a powerful windstorm on January 8, 2025, in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. (Apu Gomes)
But this was not done in the Palisades. Instead, according to the ATF, the LAFD returned the next day to collect their hoses and did not return until it had reignited on January 7, when it was too late. The ATF findings are a stinging indictment of the LAFD. From other reports we also know the LAFD did virtually nothing to prepare for the potential of a fire despite the red flag warning that had been issued, like pre-deploying fire trucks in sensitive areas.
The fire chief was Kristin Crowly, an LGTB female who herself is known for DEI hires. (As reported by the Los Angeles Times, she has “elevated younger historically marginalized deputies to replace older veterans.”) Bass fired her after Crowly partly blamed the mayor’s budget cuts to the department for the failure to better contain the fire.
She was not wrong. Under Bass, the city has increased spending on the homeless while decreasing spending on basic services to protect residents. Last year, the Council passed a budget providing $1.3 Billion for homeless-related expenses while cutting the fire department by $17 million. The city has the same number of fire stations today as it had in the 1960s.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, right, and Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley, left, address the media at a press conference on Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
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We also know they were handicapped by a lack of water because the Santa Ynez reservoir, built to provide water for fire fighting in the Palisades and managed by the LADWP, had been left empty for almost a year awaiting minor repairs, causing all the fire hydrants in the Palisades to run dry by the evening of the fire. The fault for this lies at the feet of Bass’s pick to run the department, Janisse Quinones, a Latina female, born and raised in Puerto Rico with a degree from the University of Puerto Rico. Her experience was in energy, not water. Without the reservoir, firefighters were left with three million gallons of water rather than over 100 million. The cost of the repair: $130,000.
We also know that at the time Bass left for Ghana, the city had no one in charge of public safety. That is because her deputy mayor of public safety, Brian Williams, a Black male, was on suspension at the time for calling in a fake bomb threat to the police. He admits he did so and says it was to get out of a long meeting. He recently pled guilty to a felony for “threats regarding fire and explosives.” Bass did not replace him until April, months after the fire.
Bass said of the DOJ’s indictment of the arsonist that the city is “working towards closure and towards justice — and today is a step forward in that process.” It is a first, small step. Justice means those responsible paying a price. For the arsonist, it means jail time. For Bass, it means resigning her post.
If she had any shame, she would have done so immediately upon her return from Ghana. Instead, she has put herself in charge of leading the recovery of the town she destroyed. Recently she announced she is running for reelection. In deeply blue LA, she is favored to win.
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San Francisco, CA
Trump floats sending federal agents to San Francisco to tackle crime
President Donald Trump was once again floating the idea of sending federal agents to San Francisco to tackle crime.
It happened during a cabinet meeting on Thursday. The president praised Mayor Daniel Lurie’s efforts to lower crime but said he can do it more effectively.
“San Francisco, I know, they have a mayor who’s trying very hard. He’s a Democrat, but he’s trying very hard, but we can do it much more effectively, because he can’t do what we do. He can’t take people out from the city and bring them to back to the country, from where they came, where they were in prisons,” Trump said.
“He’s trying. He’s doing okay, but we could do much better. We could make it a lot safer than it is. San Francisco, a great city, was a great city, could quickly become a great city again. But, you know, they’re going very slowly,” he continued.
The president implied that the mayor needs federal help to battle crime, saying immigrants are responsible for the lawlessness. However, according to a 2025 study by researches at UCLA and Northwestern, arresting and deporting undocumented immigrants was not associated with reduced crime rates.
Gabriel Medina, executive director of La Raza Community Resource Center In San Francisco agrees.
“I think we need to make sure that our city does not also try to play this game of making up ideas about always associating crime with immigrants, when immigrants commit less crime, so that’s really bad,” Medina said.
In response to the president comments, the mayor released a statement that reads: “In San Francisco, crime is down 30%, encampments are at record lows, and our city is on the rise. Public safety is my number one priority, and we are going to stay laser focused on keeping our streets safe and clean.”
This isn’t the first time President Trump has mused with the idea of sending federal agents to the Bay Area; last October, agents were staged at a military base in Alameda, but Trump called off the plan after talking with Lurie and Bay Area tech leaders.
“We cannot normalize what this president is saying from San Francisco, that crime is associated with immigration. We need to stop conflating that,” Medina said.
Denver, CO
Jazz List 8 Players on Injury Report vs. Nuggets
The Utah Jazz and Denver Nuggets are tipping off their second-to-last meeting of the 2025-26 season on Friday in the Mile High, where for the Jazz in particular, they’ll be dealing with several injuries headed into the matchup that’ll make them shorthanded once again.
Here’s what to expect on the injury front for both the Jazz and Nuggets on Friday night:
Utah Jazz Injury Report
OUT – Isaiah Collier (hamstring)
OUT – Keyonte George (hamstring)
OUT – Jaren Jackson Jr. (knee)
OUT – Walker Kessler (shoulder)
OUT – Lauri Markkanen (hip)
OUT – Jusuf Nurkic (nose)
PROBABLE – Kyle Filipowski (illness)
OUT – Blake Hinson (two-way)
It’s a lot of the same for the Jazz when looking back at some of their recent injury reports, but there’s also some good news to note as well.
Second-year big man Kyle Filipowski, specifically, is trending up to play in Denver after dealing with an illness against the Washington Wizards; an issue that kept him sidelined for one game and left the Jazz’s frontcourt notably shorthanded for what would be a double-digit loss.
During his post-All-Star stretch, Filipowski has been averaging 13.2 points, 8.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists, along with 1.2 steals and 0.9 blocks through 11 games.
He’s slotted in primarily as the Jazz’s starting center since both Walker Kessler and Jusuf Nurkic have been out with season-ending injuries, and has shown some nice flashes throughout.
However, outside of getting Filipowski back in the mix, the Jazz will still be without second-year guard Isaiah Collier, who continues to deal with hamstring soreness, and will also continue to be down Keyonte George and Lauri Markkanen with their extended absences.
It remains to be seen if any of the latter two will be able to return at some point this season, but now with less than 10 games to go on the calendar before the offseason officially hits, the chances of either Markkanen or George coming back keep getting slimmer and slimmer.
For the extent either remains out, expect to see a good chunk of Ace Bailey being the primary scoring option as he has through his recent slate of games, along with an expanded role for their two-way and 10-day players down the bench who have gotten more minutes in recent weeks.
Denver Nuggets Injury Report
OUT – David Roddy (two-way)
OUT – KJ Simpson (two-way)
As for the Nuggets, their injury slate remains clean. The only names out will be a pair of their two way signings in David Roddy and KJ Simpsons, while the rest of their roster is slated to be active.
It’s a major change from what the Nuggets have been used to all season when factoring in their several injuries to key players lasting multiple weeks.
Nikola Jokic, Cameron Johnson, Christian Braun, Aaron Gordon, and Peyton Watson have all missed significant time at one point or another this season, but against Utah, they’ll have all systems go as they roll into the game on a three-game win streak.
Tip-off between the Jazz and Nuggets lands at 7 p.m. MT in Ball Arena.
Seattle, WA
Harger: Hundreds responded to my Seattle homelessness commentary. Here’s what you said, and what I missed – MyNorthwest.com
Last week, I wrote about the word “homeless” and what it’s hiding. About Ben, who lives in his Jeep with his dog after a divorce and a job loss, ready to work, unable to get help because he doesn’t fit the profile the system was built for. About a woman in a tent in Ballard, severely addicted to fentanyl, found unresponsive twice in one week, turning down shelter every time it’s offered. About a third group: the severely mentally ill, cycling endlessly between the street, the ER, and the jail.
One word covering three completely different crises. One industry getting rich off the confusion.
I was not prepared for what came back.
A listener texted almost immediately to say I had perfectly described the homeless industrial complex. I’ve heard that phrase before. I’d never stopped to really sit with it. But that’s exactly what it is: A system that has organized itself around the problem rather than the solution, where the incentive is to manage homelessness, not end it.
Seattle readers respond: The homeless industrial complex, tiny homes, and a broken housing system
The emails and texts started coming in immediately and haven’t stopped. From people who said they felt seen for the first time. From people living this. From people who have been trying to say exactly this for years and couldn’t get anyone to listen.
Don wrote that the suffering caused by misguided homeless policy is just as real whether the motivation is malicious or simply misguided. He put it better than I did.
“The results are likely worse than what most of us could generate from a lifetime of determined ill-will,” Don wrote.
You don’t have to be cruel to cause real damage. You just have to be wrong and well-funded.
Igor called it “homeless heresy.” Two words. Said everything.
Laurie asked me to keep holding the spending accountable. I intend to.
Tammy told me her friend was given a tiny home and is doing meth inside it. She said the community has a room where residents do their drugs. She thought tiny homes were drug-free. They’re not required to be. That’s exactly what I was talking about. We put a roof over someone’s head, call it compassion, and walk away from the harder problem.
James flagged something I want to look into more closely. Affordable housing programs, he said, require proof of residency going back two years. This makes it nearly impossible for someone who is actually homeless to qualify. He was denied housing himself because his name wasn’t on his brother’s lease, even though that was the only address he had. That’s worth a much closer look.
Seattle homelessness has more categories than I described. A DV survivor showed me what I missed
Andrea is a domestic violence survivor who suffered a serious work injury the same year. She lost her mobility, her housing, and her safety all at once, and ended up back in a home with family members she’d spent years trying to escape. She doesn’t fit neatly into any of the three categories I described. She falls through every crack in the system.
I should have included her situation, and I didn’t. That was a mistake.
I’ve worked on stories with The More We Love, an organization that works specifically with women and children in situations like Andrea’s, and I want to tell her story more fully in the weeks ahead.
Steve spent seven years as a mission coordinator at a Seattle homeless mission in Belltown, interviewing everyone who came in seeking help. He wrote to describe a fourth category I did not address: people in the country illegally using services intended for others. It’s a complicated area, and I’m not going to treat his account as the final word, but it’s worth noting that people working directly in these facilities are seeing things the policy conversations aren’t accounting for.
Sally, a low-income senior who navigated the system herself and now rides Seattle buses regularly, wrote to describe several more categories I had not addressed: LGBTQ+ youth, domestic violence survivors on the run, and the residentially unstable who cycle through evictions and can’t get along in shelter settings. She’s offered to talk, and I may take her up on it.
North Beacon Hill: Open-air drug use, encampments near schools, and letters that go nowhere
Kevin is from North Beacon Hill. He wrote to describe his neighborhood: the parks full of encampments, the open-air drug use and sales, the day cares and schools nearby, the community group writing letters that go nowhere. His council member attended one meeting and didn’t seem particularly interested. The neighborhood is left to document what’s happening and hope someone eventually notices.
I went out to Kevin’s North Beacon Hill neighborhood this week. I talked to him. That report airs early next week, and I think you’ll want to check it out.
Seattle’s homeless policy is failing. People see it clearly. They just needed someone to say it
People aren’t confused about this. They see it clearly. They’ve been seeing it for years. They just haven’t had anyone reflect it back to them without flinching.
Igor called it heresy. Around here, maybe it is. We’ve spent billions. The people sleeping outside are still sleeping outside. The people like Ben who just need a hand up can’t get one. And suggesting that what we’re doing clearly isn’t working is apparently the most controversial thing you can say in this city.
I’m not done with this story. Not even close.
Charlie Harger is the host of on KIRO Newsradio. You can read more of his stories and commentaries . Follow Charlie and email him .
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