As Los Angeles grapples with the aftermath of its most destructive wildfires in history, Rick Caruso represents the strong leadership that is desperately needed.
He was the first person to call out the inadequate preparation and response by local elected officials on Jan. 7th (even when some reporters tried to undermine his claims that the hydrants ran dry in the Palisades). He then showcased leadership by pioneering the vision for recovery through his nonprofit, Steadfast LA.
Since January 7th, Mr. Caruso’s voice has resonated with the pain felt by Los Angeles residents. He argues that the fires were both predictable and preventable. The national weather service had issued warnings about life-threatening “extreme” winds that would worsen fire conditions. With this foreknowledge and the lessons from previous wildfires, Caruso believes the elected officials’ preparation efforts were negligent. With just simple and effective brush clearance, the fire’s path and size could have been mitigated…