Kristian Fors, a Resident of Los Angeles County and research associate at the California-based Independent Institute, says locals are wondering where their tax dollars are going as officials struggle to contain devastating wildfires fanned by high winds.
The forest fires have destroyed more than 12,300 homes around LA over five consecutive days, leaving at least 11 people dead and thousands displaced. As of Saturday morning, the Palisades Fire was 11% contained, the Eaton Fire was 15% contained, the Kenneth Fire was 80% contained and the Hurst Fire was 76% contained, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
“I think at a fundamental level, we, the citizens of the United States and of Los Angeles, expect certain provisions from our government. And when people see that our basic needs are not being met, they get angry,” Fors told Fox News Digital.
“I think the people of California — they’re willing to pay high taxes. They’re willing to support things that they may not agree with because there’s a basic assumption that’s behind it all, that our government is here to protect us,” he continued. “But now in a situation like this, when there’s total mismanagement, when people are scared, when there’s a 0% cap, people are asking themselves, what did all those tax dollars go to?”
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Firefighters work near a burning structure in Pacific Palisades, California, on January 8, 2025. (Jason Ryan/NurPhoto)
Fors, whose research focuses on government waste and inefficiency in California, evacuated his home in La Cañada Flintridge, which adjoins the now smoldering town of Altadena, with his grandfather after their first neighbor knocked on their door at 6 a.m. and said: “You have to leave.”
The researcher pointed to multiple issues he believes could have been addressed to mitigate wildfires, including more affordable insurance policies that would encourage “a lot of productive types of buildings” built to withstand wildfires and other natural disasters; installation of fire-resistant lines underground; power outages when strong winds blow in certain areas; and more controlled burns.
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Luke Dexter reacts as he searches through the remains of his father’s beach house that was ravaged by fire after the Palisades fire on Friday, Jan. 10, 2025, in Malibu, California. (John Locher)
Fors also noted that California has struggled to deal with a housing crisis for years, with displaced residents struggling to find places to go after being evacuated from their homes.
“On a statewide level, I’m not sure if the necessary efforts are being made.”
“[California Gov.] Gavin Newsom reached a memorandum of understanding with the US Forest Service back in 2020, and they agreed to clear … 500,000 hectares of forest land a year,” explained Fors. “And that means doing controlled burns, because part of the problem with living in a place like is California that we are surrounded by wild lands. These wild lands accumulate brush, and that brush is incredibly dangerous. … So they came up with this memorandum of understanding that they would clear 500,000 hectares, but they only cleared about 100,000 a year.”
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A helicopter drops water on the Palisades Fire in Mandeville Canyon, Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025, in Los Angeles. (Etienne Laurent)
LA County Fire Chief Anthony C. Marrone told reporters Saturday that his department is prepared for strong Santa Ana winds that could fan the fire into Wednesday.
“These winds, combined with dry air and dry vegetation, will maintain a high fire danger in Los Angeles County,” Marrone said.
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People look at smoke and flames from the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood on January 7, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Tiffany Rose/Getty Images)
The Eaton Fire has burned 14,117 acres and is now 15% contained, with more than 7,000 structures damaged or destroyed. Marrone said 2,832 emergency personnel were deployed to fight the fire.
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Todd Hopkins, battalion commander for Cal Fire, said the Palisades fire is now at 21,596 acres and 11% contained. A total of 5,316 buildings, including 426 houses, were destroyed in the fire. More than 150,000 residents were evacuated, he added.
Fox News’ Chris Pandolfo contributed to this report.
