In a candid discussion on HBO's "Real Time With Bill Maher," former L.A. mayoral candidate Rick Caruso criticized the city's handling of wildfire prevention and management, particularly in light of recent fires in Pacific Palisades.
Breitbart reported that Caruso expressed concerns about Los Angeles' wildfire strategies and agreed with past comments by Donald Trump on vegetation management.
Caruso, a notable Republican figure and runner-up in the recent mayoral race against Democrat Karen Bass, appeared on Bill Maher’s television show to speak on the recent wildfires that devastated the Pacific Palisades area, a topic of significant concern for Los Angeles residents.
During the show, Caruso pointed out the lack of effective wildfire prevention and management strategies by city officials. He highlighted prior incidents, including fires in Malibu and Brentwood, underscoring the city's vulnerability to wildfires due to outdated and unmanaged vegetation.
"We had a fire three weeks ago in Malibu, six years ago we had a fire in Brentwood," Caruso remarked, showing a pattern of recurring fire threats.
"There’s 40-year-old vegetation between Brentwood and the Palisades and at that time I said if that fire travels it’s going to come through and wipe out the Palisades. I’m so sad that I was right," he added, indicating the predictable nature of these disasters had they been properly managed.
Caruso also criticized the city's infrastructure readiness, particularly pointing to a main reservoir being out of service during peak fire season, branding it as almost negligent.
"It was predictable, Bill. What’s predictable is preventable. And then, on top of it, to have a main reservoir out of service during peak fire season? I mean that’s border negligence," Caruso stated, emphasizing the city’s poor planning and response to fire hazards.
The discussion also touched upon measures that could prevent future fires, such as burying power lines, which could help prevent them from sparking wildfires. Caruso advocated for this along with better city-wide decision-making, akin to running a responsive and preventive business.
"Yes we need to rebuild quickly and yes we need to get people back in their homes. But we also need to be smart about it because the Palisades, just like Altadena — and God bless the families there, too — the Palisades will remain in a fire zone, so don’t go build the same damn thing," Caruso advised, pushing for smarter rebuilding strategies in wildfire-prone areas.
Bill Maher brought a unique perspective to the wildfire management discussion, citing innovative approaches from other regions.
“You know what they did in Sacramento? Goats. Yeah man, fucking goats. You put them on the hillside and they eat the vegetation. And they’re cheap, they work cheap,” Maher explained, suggesting that L.A. could adopt similar low-cost and effective solutions for managing vegetation.
Amid the broader discussion, Caruso found common ground with former President Donald Trump on certain wildfire management issues, particularly related to the clearing of dead brush. Donald Trump had remarked on the same during a visit to California during his presidency, a point that Caruso agreed with, promoting proactive management practices.
The alignment of Caruso’s views with Trump’s previous suggestions about dead brush removal highlighted a potentially bipartisan agreement on practical steps towards better wildfire preparedness.
Although not directly endorsing all political views, Caruso’s agreement on this specific matter shows a shared concern for practical solutions over political rhetoric.
Discussions like the one on "Real Time With Bill Maher" reveal the complexities and urgencies of managing urban wildfires, an issue bound to remain at the forefront of Los Angeles’ administrative challenges.
With the fire season extending each year, and more areas being recognized as fire zones, the conversation around effective management and preventative measures is more relevant than ever.