An LA Fire Department whistleblower claims he was told if he spoke out about the Palisades fire, he would lose his job and his pension.
The LAFD whistleblower has now decided not to give testimony to federal investigators, saying he was explicitly warned about speaking out on the deadly Fire.
Local resident and fire victim Spencer Pratt, joins critics in saying that this is a deliberate effort by LAFD brass – and Democratic leaders in City Hall – to bury the truth about the fire.
According to Pratt, the whistleblower was set to brief members of a Senate committee anonymously, but pulled out after learning that LAFD superiors warned that revealing “the truth” about the fire’s mishandling would trigger immediate termination and a loss of of retirement benefits.
The alleged intimidation tactic comes as federal investigations heat up into the January wildfire which killed 12 people– including families burned alive in their homes – and destroyed about 7,000 structures across the Palisades neighborhood.
The disaster exposed lapses in fire management under Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass.
What started as a manageable brush fire on New Year’s Day, exploded into an inferno six days later.
Whistleblowers, including the one who talked to Pratt, reported that LAFD mop-up crews were ordered to abandon the smoldering burn scar, even though there were visible hot spots, red-hot coals, and smoldering tree stumps.
They said a battalion chief ignored concerns and told teams to pack up hoses and leave.
One firefighter texted colleagues at the time: “This is a bad idea”
And it was, because the fire reignited – destroyed the Palisades area.
LAFD command staff initially insisted the original fire was fully extinguished and unrelated to the Palisades blaze.
It wasn’t until federal investigators stepped in that the department admitted the connection and
Mayor Bass immediately fired LAFD Chief Kristin Crowley.
Meanwhile, the city has funneled hundreds of thousands in taxpayer dollars to high-powered law firms – including a $750,000 contract to Munger, Tolles & Olson to process Senate document requests – rather than relying on its own 500-plus attorneys.
