Ortiz was an LAFD fire captain who served in the department for 33 years before retiring in 2023. “ L.A. County has always had a history of being really good at brush fires,” Ortiz said.

And we need to fix it.” Since the Palisades fire, Escobar has been everywhere: On CNN touring the devastation. Claiming in USA Today that the LAFD is “woefully, dangerously understaffed.” ...

Ruiz is a unit commander in the In-Service Training Section and has served as a drill master at LAFD Training Academy.

which actually went to support salaries and other parts of the fire department." After waiting more than a month for the LAFD to respond to The Los Angeles Times' public records request about the ...

The LAFD — which is contracted to annually inspect 66,000 fire hydrants across the city — had identified at least 1,350 hydrants in need of repair, according to its 2024 inspection.

More than two and a half months after flames leveled much of Pacific Palisades, the Los Angeles Fire Department and Mayor Karen Bass’ office have maintained an extraordinary secrecy about the ...

There was no one else inside the home but the victim told firefighters, when they first responded at about 9 a.m., that there were some dogs inside, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.