LA Mayor Bass LA Mayor Bass Rejects FDNY’s Offer to Help — Despite Not Having Enough Firefighters to Battle Blazes Still Raging

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass denied rebuffing an offer by the FDNY to help try to contain the area’s deadly fires — even though California officials have said they don’t have enough firefighters themselves. New York City fire Commissioner Robert Tucker made the helpful overture to the embattled Bass in recent days, as five blazes rage around Los Angeles and its suburbs, killing at least 10 people and destroying thousands of homes and businesses. JetBlue even offered to pay for the city smoke-eaters’ flights across the country from the Big Apple to Los Angeles. But the offers apparently fell on deaf ears, as no orders have been issued to send New York City crews out West, sources said. Meanwhile, California Gov. Gavin Newsom accepted help from Mexico, thanking its president, Claudia Sheinbaum, on Friday for the assist, while extra firefighters from Colorado, New Mexico and Utah flocked to the state to help Thursday (New York Post).

Reporter Charles Gasparino: Mexico thinks it’s paying Cali for all those migrants they sent there by helping with the fires, while the mayor says no to NYFD. Can’t make this up (X).

LA Mayor Bass rejects FDNY’s offer to help — despite not having enough firefighters to battle blazes still raging: sources

By Craig McCarthy and Kate Sheehy, NY Post, Jan. 10, 2025:

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass denied rebuffing an offer by the FDNY to help try to contain the area’s deadly fires — even though California officials have said they don’t have enough firefighters themselves.

New York City fire Commissioner Robert Tucker made the helpful overture to the embattled Bass in recent days, as five blazes rage around Los Angeles and its suburbs, killing at least 10 people and destroying thousands of homes and businesses, sources told The Post Friday.

But the offers apparently fell on deaf ears, as no orders have been issued to send New York City crews out West, sources said.

Meanwhile, California Gov. Gavin Newsom accepted help from Mexico, thanking its president, Claudia Sheinbaum, on Friday for the assist, while extra firefighters from Colorado, New Mexico and Utah flocked to the state to help Thursday.

A source speculated that Bass may have balked at taking Bravest help because fighting wildfires is “a whole different beast” that requires special training, as opposed to putting out blazes in buildings, which is typical fare for the FDNY.

But the apparent refusal still stunned some department observers — given how Los Angeles Fire Chief Anthony Marrone acknowledged Wednesday that his forces were fighting a losing battle when it came to enough staffing to thwart the blazes.

“LA County and all 29 fire departments in our county are not prepared for this kind of widespread disaster,’’ Marrone said.
Aerial view of burned homes in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, during the Palisades fire on January 9, 2025