BHS - 8A – Los Angeles Wildfires Press Conference III [01/10/25}

Los Angeles wildfires press conference regarding:
-         Palisades (Pacific Palisades)
-         Eaton (Altadena)
-         Kenneth (West Hills)
-         Hurst (Sylmar)
-         Creek (Tujunga)

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
You're listening to Bill Handle on demand from KFI AM
six forty.

Speaker 2 (00:06):
Now we're going to go to that press conference to
get an update on the fires burning around southern California.

Speaker 3 (00:12):
We have a short presentation today.

Speaker 2 (00:15):
We're aiming for conciseness, so we're going to start off
with the LA County Director of the Office of Emergency Management,
Kevin McGowan.

Speaker 4 (00:25):
Thank you, Helen.

Speaker 5 (00:27):
Hi.

Speaker 4 (00:27):
My name's Kevin McGowan. I'm the Director of Thoughts of
Emergency Management for Los Angeles County. There is an extreme
amount of frustration, anger, fear with regards to the erroneous
messages that have been being sent out through the wireless
emergency alert system across LA County. I can't express enough

(00:52):
how sorry I am for this experience. First of all,
I want to clarify this is not human driven. There
is no one sitting at a desk right now initiating
emergency alerts. I want to restate that right now, as
these alerts are being issued, they are not being activated

(01:15):
or initiated.

Speaker 5 (01:16):
By a person.

Speaker 4 (01:20):
This is my top priority. I am working all hands
on deck with the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Integrated Public
Alert and Warning Team. We have every technical specialist working
to resolve this issue and to find the root cause.

(01:43):
I implore everyone to not disable the messages on your phone.
This is extremely frustrating, painful, and scary, but these alert
tools have saved lives during this emergency. Not receiving an

(02:06):
alert can be a consequence of life and death. As
we continue to work on the root cause, I ask
everyone that gets an alert to verify if they are
in an evacuation warning or order to go to alert

(02:27):
la dot org, La County dot gov, slash emergency or
dial two one one for assistance. The mapping is accurate
on where evacuation warnings and orders exist. Again, this is

(02:47):
my top priority. This is the top priority of my
partners at the state and at FEMA with the public
Alert and Warning tool to resolve this issue as quickly
as possible and identify the root costs.

Speaker 5 (03:02):
Thank you, Thank you, Kevin, Thank you, Kevin.

Speaker 3 (03:08):
Good morning everyone.

Speaker 6 (03:08):
I'm going to make this very short because we've got
a full list of people that want to present today.
You're going to hear information from our insurance Commissioner, Ricardo Laura.
Thank you for being here about how residents can get
connected to insurance support to recover and rebuild. And I

(03:29):
was up in the outing area last night, and the
common question was how do I navigate this is the
insurance process and.

Speaker 3 (03:37):
Will I be able to get insured again?

Speaker 6 (03:40):
And so I felt it was important for us to
hear from our insurance commissioner, who's been very engaged.

Speaker 5 (03:46):
On this issue.

Speaker 6 (03:47):
And then I just want to say to everyone, you know,
I've been out and I've heard from my residence, and
I think we've all had someone impacted by this fire.
I keep saying it you are not alone. I talk
to families that have lost everything and.

Speaker 5 (04:04):
They don't know where to go.

Speaker 6 (04:06):
And as the supervisor representing that district, but also as
a chair, I speak for this board. We are here
to support you, and we will be here for the long.

Speaker 5 (04:17):
Road to rebuild.

Speaker 6 (04:18):
So with that, I'd like to turn it over to
Maherbas to say a few words.

Speaker 7 (04:25):
Thank you, cher Barger. All of us here are working
urgently and around the clock to confront this ongoing firestorm.
And when we are on the front lines, when we're
in the command posts, when we are in the emergency
operations center, we carry with us our friends and neighbors.

Speaker 5 (04:44):
That is what this fight is all about.

Speaker 7 (04:46):
It's about those friends, neighbors, and loved ones who have
fled their homes, those who have lost their homes, those
who have lost their lives, to all Angelinos. We are
fighting hard for each of you. So here's our city update.

Speaker 5 (05:00):
Oh boy, here we go again.

Speaker 8 (05:03):
She's running for office.

Speaker 7 (05:05):
The Hearst fire, the Kenneth fire, and air drop efforts
than goodness continue. LAFD also responded to and extinguished fires
in Pacoima, Hollywood Studio City, and more. I do want
to let everyone know that Griffith Park, including Runyon Canyon,
will be closed through Sunday. Yesterday, President Biden pledged his

(05:28):
full support for response efforts, including FEMA reimbursement one hundred
percent of our disaster response costs. FEMA also launched resources
and support for Angelino's impacted by these fires. Visit Disaster
Assistance dot gov to apply. We have worked with the
Governor and Sheriff Luna to secure the National Guard, which

(05:51):
will back up and free up our firefighters and police
officers and play a key role in securing our evacuation
zones to keep people safe and to protect against anyone
thinking of taking advantage of this tragedy. People from across LA,
the nation, and the world are asking how to help.

(06:12):
Yesterday I spoke of the California Community Foundation's Wildlife Recovery Fund,
and today I'm grateful to share that within twenty four
hours they have raised two point five million dollars from
four thousand generous donors. Visit colfunfund dot org. I also
mentioned that Airbnb has been working through the two to

(06:34):
one one online portal to provide free temporary housing.

Speaker 5 (06:38):
Now.

Speaker 7 (06:38):
The demand has been extremely high, and Airbnb has increased
their commitment to providing emergency assistance for now twenty five
thousand evacuees, first responders, and others impacted by the fires.
Visit two to one one LA dot org to get
connected with so many homes and businesses laws. We are

(07:00):
already putting plans in place to make sure that we
aggressively rebuild. My office is leading the city effort to
clear the way red tape, bureaucracy.

Speaker 3 (07:10):
All of it must go.

Speaker 7 (07:13):
This will be an enormous undertaking, but we will be
ready for it because we will not rely on the
old way of doing things for this recovery. We will
have like we have done in other areas. We shake
up the system and move forward with new strategies and policies.
I don't believe that there is anything that Angelin knows

(07:34):
cannot do if we stand together.

Speaker 9 (07:37):
Thank you.

Speaker 7 (07:38):
Now, i'd like to introduce La County's third District Supervisor,
Lindsay Horbet.

Speaker 3 (07:47):
Good morning.

Speaker 10 (07:48):
I want to first start by thinking our first responders
who were focused in the Tapeanga region yesterday and responded
swiftly to the Kenneth fire.

Speaker 3 (07:59):
Incredible action from.

Speaker 10 (08:00):
Firefighters who are giving multiple fires absolutely everything they've got.
Initial reports led our department to serious concerns, but we
have the absolute best, most experienced teams leading our efforts
and even with the most challenging circumstances in terrain.

Speaker 3 (08:18):
They have been able to deliver.

Speaker 10 (08:20):
Next, I want to express my deep frustration with the
alert system that is causing confusion and additional panic for
our communities at this time of extreme crisis.

Speaker 3 (08:31):
Whatever the cause, it.

Speaker 10 (08:33):
Is unacceptable and it is being addressed now by the
County's Office of Emergency Management. As Director McGowan described, we'll
be investigating what happened, how and why at every level
in our exhaustive after action process to ensure it is corrected.
There is a reason why we have redundancies in our

(08:54):
communications system. Crises require them. Please sign up for Alert
LA dot com, visit Emergency dot La County dot gov,
and tune into local radio and TV. Our LA media
partners have done an incredible job getting the word out
and it's why we hold these press briefings.

Speaker 3 (09:13):
In terms of overnight.

Speaker 10 (09:15):
Updates in the communities I represent, we had a small
brush fire of under five acres in Pacoima that the
fire department knocked out quickly, and we thank them for
their bravery and their swift action. The fires continue to
have air quality impacts throughout the Los Angeles County region.
A smoke advisory has been extended through Friday to limit exposure.

(09:37):
Please remain indoors as much as possible, avoid outdoor physical activity,
and run your air conditioner or air purifier if you
have one. The Department of Public Health's Chief Deputy, Doctor
Aniche Mahajan, is here and can help answer questions about
air quality. The strength and resolve of Los Angeles County residents,

(09:58):
as well as our extraordinary first responders from every level
of government, as well as our private citizens from across
the country and right here in our own county will
be the way we get through this unimaginable tragedy.

Speaker 3 (10:11):
Thank you.

Speaker 10 (10:11):
I'd now like to welcome up La County Fire Chief
Anthony Maroney.

Speaker 11 (10:17):
The good news is we're getting real information here, so
that's appreciatesor.

Speaker 12 (10:21):
So good morning. The Eaton fire current estimated acreage thirteen thousand,
nine hundred and fifty six acres with three percent containment.
We still have four to five thousand structures that may
be damaged or destroyed. Once we do our damage inspection
reports will get a more accurate number for you. We

(10:43):
currently have one five and twenty seven firefighting personnel remaining
assigned to this incident. The La County Fire Department is
in unified command with the US four Service, the La
County Sheriffs, along with the Pasadena Arcadias Sierra Madre Fire
Department and the Capacity of Police Department. Yesterday afternoon, the

(11:04):
fire at the fire at the Eaton Canyon did make
a push towards historic Mount Wilson. This observatory is okay
thanks to the efforts of the firefighters and observatory staff,
and no buildings have been destroyed at Mount Wilson. A
firefighter did suffer a significant fall injury yesterday at the
Eaton fire. He remains hospitalized. He's resting comfortably and he's

(11:29):
in stable condition and expected to make.

Speaker 5 (11:31):
A full recovery. The cause of the fire.

Speaker 12 (11:33):
Remains unknown, and we will advise the media once we
get the cause determined. We are appreciative to our many
mutual aid partners from out of state for providing assistance
to Los Angeles County in our time of need. Thanks
to the increased number of resources assigned, the region is
in a much better posture than we were earlier this week,

(11:55):
and I have been advised that mutual aid resources from
Canada are arriving now. The National Weather Service predicts that
the red flag will continue through Friday. Continue today through
six pm. However, our priority is also going to be
to prepare for the next red flag event that is
predicted to begin on Monday. I would also like to

(12:17):
provide a brief update on the Kenneth fire that erupted
yesterday near the Victory trailhead at the border of Ventura
and Los Angeles Counties. Thanks to the quick action of
first responders and aerial assets, the fire has been stopped.
It's currently at one thousand acres. We have thirty five
percent containment and no structures are reported damaged or destroyed.

(12:40):
One important topic I want to talk about is that
we did have a drone incursion yesterday at the Palisades Fire.
Unknown exactly what time this small drone hit the wing
of our COL four fifteen Super Scooper aircraft that we
currently have on contract from the Province of Quebec. The

(13:00):
pilots were unaware that they hit the drone. It wasn't
until they landed at Vany's Airport that the maintenance staff
noticed that there.

Speaker 5 (13:09):
Was a fist sized.

Speaker 12 (13:11):
Hole in the leading edge of the wing inboard of
the landing light. That Super Scooper will be prioritized for
repair twenty four to seven. It should be flying Monday.
We only have two of them. Everyone should know, all
of your viewers, flying a drone in the fire traffic

(13:31):
area is not only dangerous, but it's illegal. We do
have our federal partners behind the scenes are going to
be implementing procedures to be able to follow drones in
our two large fire areas, and they will they will
be able to identify who the operator of that drone is.

(13:53):
The Most important thing to know is that if you
fly a drone at one of these brush fires, all
aerial operations will shut down, and we certainly don't want
to have that happen. Before I close, I would like
to thank Supervisor Barger and Horvath for their unwavering support
and leadership. I would also like to acknowledge the tireless

(14:13):
efforts of first responders who continue to place themselves in
harm's way to protect our residents and property.

Speaker 5 (14:20):
Thank you.

Speaker 12 (14:20):
I would now like to bring up Fire Chief Kristin
Crowley of the Los Angeles City Fire Department.

Speaker 13 (14:29):
Thank you, Chief Maroni. So I'll just be providing a
brief brief update of the overnight operations of our fires,
So Palisades Fires. This fire was currently tracked at twenty thousand,
four hundred and thirty eight acres with three thousand and
seventy three personnel assigned. CRUZ worked very very hard overnight

(14:51):
strengthening our containment lines and addressing multiple spot fires in
and around the Tapanga Canyon area. Resources respond to the
area included our air assets to aid in the containment efforts.
Due to the favorable overnight weather conditions and the diligent
and I'll focus on the diligent work and effort and

(15:12):
commitment of our first responders. We can report that the
Palisades fire is now eight percent contained. When gusts are
expected to increase in daylight hours that will test our
containment lines, our firefighters will continue to respond to any
flare ups and increase our containment lines. Evacuation orders remain
in place. The Heart fire, due to more accurate mapping

(15:36):
and acreage has been updated to seven hundred and seventy
one acres with thirty seven percent containment. All evacuation orders
and warnings have been lifted. The Kenneth fire ford progress
has been stopped with thirty five percent containment at one
thousand acres. All evacuation orders and warnings within the Los
Angeles City have been lifted. I personally want to make

(15:59):
sure that we think and show our deepest gratitude to
all of our Los Angeles City firefighters and all of
our partners as we've been battling these fires for now
we're going into day four. Thank you to LAPD for
assisting us and keeping our communities safe. And lastly, thank
you to all of the agencies who have come to
aid during this time of help.

Speaker 3 (16:19):
And it absolutely does not go unnoticed.

Speaker 9 (16:22):
Thank you.

Speaker 11 (16:26):
Thanks yeah.

Speaker 3 (16:27):
Now, Sheriff Robert Luna, thank you, Jeff.

Speaker 5 (16:32):
Good morning to everybody.

Speaker 14 (16:34):
This morning, we have well over five hundred LA County
deputies that are assisting continuous with evacuations, traffic control, security patrols,
and other humanitarian efforts.

Speaker 5 (16:47):
They're out there. I hear people calling me.

Speaker 14 (16:49):
They see a lot of black and white police cars
rolling with lights and siren.

Speaker 5 (16:54):
They're out there working. That's what they're doing.

Speaker 14 (16:57):
They've been actively patrolling the backcuted areas and are increasing
their presence to deter any burglary or looting.

Speaker 5 (17:06):
Activity that may occur.

Speaker 14 (17:08):
Just to summarize on evacuations, for all the fires that
we're dealing with, evacuations orders stand at approximately one hundred
and fifty three thousand residents that are under evacuation orders
and approximately fifty seven eight hundred and thirty structures at
risk and then evacuation warnings. Approximately one hundred and sixty

(17:31):
six thousand, eight hundred residents under both warnings or I'm sorry,
those are just specifically for warnings. What I want to
go to next, and we started talking about this last night,
is a curfew, a curfew order has been established for
the Palisades and Eaten Fire areas in all mandatory evacuation

(17:54):
zones that will be an effect. It was an effect
last night and it's going to be in effect tonight
at six pm.

Speaker 5 (18:02):
So it ended at six am this.

Speaker 14 (18:04):
Morning, will take effect again until six pm. I'm emphasizing
that to our media partners because part of this is
communicating in the public. You cannot be in these affected areas.
If you are, you are subject to arrest.

Speaker 5 (18:21):
That is important. We're not doing this to inconvenience anybody.

Speaker 14 (18:25):
We're doing it to protect the structures, the houses that
people have left because we ordered them to leave, and
I want them to feel continent that we are doing
everything we can to secure that this curfew will be
strictly enforced and is being taken to enhance public safety,
protect property, and prevent any burglaries or looting in the

(18:46):
area that the residents have evacuated. The only people that
will be allowed in these areas are disaster workers. Okay,
I just want to make that clear because we have
other people trying to get in there. And by the way,
media partners who have legitimate media credentials, yes, you may

(19:06):
enter those areas unless it's very, very unsafe and somebody
tells you not to for that reason. Again, just specifically,
anyone found in violation of this curfew will be subject
to arrest for a misdemeanor offense under La County Code
Section two point sixty's eight three two zero, and conviction
may result in a fine up to one thousand dollars

(19:29):
or jail time. And I'm telling you right now, I
know people talk about no bail, and I've given direction
that if somebody's caught doing this, they are not going
to get sided and release.

Speaker 5 (19:41):
They're going to get booked. We are not screwing around
with this.

Speaker 14 (19:45):
We don't want anyone taking advantage of our residents that
have already been victimized.

Speaker 5 (19:52):
The National Guard deployment.

Speaker 14 (19:54):
As many of you are aware, we ask for the
National Guard. I'm very thankful to Governor Newsome and the
State Office of Emergency Services that fulfill that request. As
of last night, we've had National guardsmen assisting us.

Speaker 5 (20:10):
They arrived last night.

Speaker 14 (20:11):
And deployed to the Eaton fire area and we're assisting
with road closures and critical infrastructure protection. As additional Guard
personnel arrive, and they will be in the next twelve
to twenty four hours. The Sheriff's Department will strategically coordinate
their deployment with other partners such as the Los Angeles

(20:32):
Police Department, Pasadena Police Department, Santa Monica Police Department, a SUSA,
and Arcadia. Those are the requests we have now that
may grow, will adjust as time goes on.

Speaker 5 (20:44):
I want to make sure.

Speaker 14 (20:45):
That if anybody needs updated information on either evacuation orders
or warnings or road closures, they go to Alacounty dot
gov slash emergency. And with that, I am going to
be introducing Assistant Chief Dominic Choi from the Los Angeles

(21:06):
Police Department.

Speaker 6 (21:09):
Thank you.

Speaker 15 (21:11):
All right, good morning on behalf of the Los Angeles
Police Department. I just want to extend our deepest sympathies
to all those affected by our fires, and that includes
many of our own LAPD officers who've lost homes and
property in this fire and they continue to serve these
communities and I appreciate all their work. I have a
number of important updates for all of you today, and

(21:32):
I'm going to start by an arrest.

Speaker 8 (21:34):
That was made late yesterday afternoon. So yesterday afternoon, the
Kenneth fires.

Speaker 15 (21:39):
Started at the border of West Hills and City Los
Angeles and Venture County.

Speaker 8 (21:44):
At four point thirty two pm, we received a.

Speaker 15 (21:47):
Nine to one call that a suspect was attempting to light
a fire in the commune of Woodland Hills and was
being detained by residents. Officers from LPDS to Pengara responded
and took that suspect into custody, and once we learned
that this suspect was a possible arson suspect, our Major
Crimes Division responded to Penga Division along with Ventura County

(22:07):
Sheriffs who was a lead in the Kenneth fire investigation.
But they responded, they interviewed this suspect. After the interview
and additional investigative steps, looking at some additional evidence that
was present, they made the determination that there was not
enough probable cause to arrest this person on arson or
suspicion of arson, and therefore this person was arrested.

Speaker 8 (22:27):
On a fallnty probation violation.

Speaker 15 (22:32):
This investigation is ongoing, however, and I'd like to thank
those community members that were involved this in helping us
bring this person to attend to our attention and so
we can have an ongoing investigation. The second point I
want to talk about is for any of those people
looking for loved ones or missing people related specifically to
the Palisades fire. Now, the county is also doing this

(22:54):
for the Eaton fire, but for the City of Los Angeles,
we've stood up a family Assistant Center. This center is
located at Chevy Hills Recreation Center and it's at twenty
five point fifty one Motor Avenue. It's going to be
open today from ten am to six pm and tomorrow
from nine am to five pm.

Speaker 8 (23:12):
We will have ten officers there ready.

Speaker 15 (23:14):
To receive anyone who needs to report a missing person
related to the Palisadates fire. We will also have the
American Red Cross, the Mayor's Christ's Response Team, the LA
County Medical Examiner's Office, and the LA County Department of
Mental Health. They will be there to help support answer
questions and provide information as necessary. Again, I just want

(23:35):
to emphasize this is for missing people related to Palisates fire.

Speaker 5 (23:39):
This is not for any other issues related to the fire.

Speaker 15 (23:46):
LAPD and our law enforcement partners are actively maintaining law
and order in the areas impacted by the fires.

Speaker 16 (23:52):
We're patrolling these areas to deter criminal activity and to
continue to ensure public safety. Today, we're deploying two hundred
and ten officers in these impacted areas. This deployment includes
our partners from La Port PD and LAWAPD, and I'm
thankful for their support. Again, protecting our homes, businesses, and
evacuated and vulnerable zones are our priority, and we will

(24:15):
continue to ensure that no one takes advantage of these situations.
You've heard this message before, but I'm going to say
it again because it's so important and so critical.

Speaker 8 (24:25):
Looting has zero tolerance.

Speaker 15 (24:27):
Looting or exploiting in the disaster areas will not be tolerated.
Anybody caught looting or committing crimes in the affected areas
will be arrested and prosecuted to the fullest.

Speaker 8 (24:36):
Extent of the law.

Speaker 15 (24:38):
Will remain vigilant and patrol these areas and ensure that
we can mitigate any activity like this. And again, if
you haven't already done so, you will start seeing in
the city of Los Angeles the National Guard being deployed
at the Palisades Fire. Their role is going to be
traffic control, managing roadways to ensure access to affected areas
is restricted to authorized personnel only. They're gonna be manning

(25:01):
critical infrastructure security as well as doing checkpoints and verifying
credentials for those for ingress and egress, and lastly these
measures controlling access.

Speaker 8 (25:13):
They are necessary.

Speaker 15 (25:14):
I just want the communities to know they are necessary
for public safety and for proper community recovery. They are inconvenience,
but it's something that we have to do. Residents are
encouraged to call nine to one one if they see
any suspicious activity. Law enforcement, National Guard and other first
responders are here to support this community and ensure their

(25:35):
safety in a difficult time. Our commitment remains steadfast to
restoring safety and normalcy as quickly as possible. Your cooperation
and resilience from the community are greatly appreciated. Thank you,
And at this time I'd like to introduce Los Ange
County District Attorney Nathan Hawkman.

Speaker 8 (25:57):
Thank you, good morning.

Speaker 17 (25:59):
District could turn office will be considering up to now
five different types of cases that will eventually be presented.

Speaker 9 (26:06):
From law enforcement.

Speaker 5 (26:08):
A serve with arson.

Speaker 17 (26:10):
If it is determined that there is a man made
and intentional setting of any of the fires involved in
this situation, the people who committed this arson will be arrested,
they will be prosecuted, and they will be punished to
the full extent of the law. Right now, obviously law
enforcement and the firefighters are focused on containing these properties,

(26:33):
saving lives, saving homes. But eventually we will get to
the causes of those fires, and that part. The DA's
office will be working with law enforcement to go after
anyone who is guilty of the crime of arson.

Speaker 8 (26:47):
Second types of crimes.

Speaker 17 (26:49):
If people are going to violate this curfew restriction and
they get arrested, they will be prosecuted. Let me make it,
let me back up what the sheriff has said. Or
to protect the homes of people who've been ordered to
leave those homes, the Sheriff, the Los Angeles Police Department,
and local law enforcement is going to be working over

(27:11):
time to protect your home. In that way, if you
violate the curfew, you will be arrested and then you
will be prosecuted by the District Attorney's office.

Speaker 8 (27:22):
Third issue, looting.

Speaker 17 (27:25):
Looting is a despicable crime for the people who've already
been arrested, Please know that this is not going to
end well. You will be punished to the full extent
of the law. And I'm sending this warning message out again.
If you want to take and go ahead and take
advantage of people who are tragically suffered enormous losses in

(27:46):
this county, the District Attorney's office, working with law enforcement,
will make sure you are arrested, you're prosecuted, and you
are maximally punished.

Speaker 9 (27:57):
Drugs.

Speaker 17 (27:58):
If you're thinking that it's fine to send a drone
up in the area for your own amusement, or you
want to get information that nobody else can get, and
you do it in one of these areas for which
drones are not permitted, I'll repeat.

Speaker 5 (28:11):
One more time.

Speaker 17 (28:13):
You will be arrested, you will be prosecuted, and you
will be punished to the full extent of the law.
And the last type of crime that will be looking
at are scams, and we're already seeing them. We're seeing
people being targeted and Go fund me scams by people
who are trying to entice people to give money to

(28:34):
people who have suffered, when the people who are arranging
this Go fundme page are nothing but scammers. You must
be aware of who you might are being approached by
and who you actually can go ahead and give your
money too if you want to help them. We're going
to see that eventually with insurance scams. We'll see it
with government benefits scams. And yes, they are going to

(28:56):
target the people who have been tragically affected and you
cannot allow them to do it. I would suggested if
you want internet resources and who to give money to,
go to Recovery dot Lacounty dot gov. It has a
whole list of organizations that you can if you want

(29:17):
to contribute to, and it does it in both English
and Spanish. Also, you can go to the LAFD dot
gov's website as well. But my message to the public
is beware these scammers look at this as an opportunity.
Do not let them take advantage of you. And one
more message to the scammers. You will be arrested, you

(29:41):
will be prosecuted, and you will be punished to the
maximum extent possible. I'd like now to introduce a California
Insurance Commissioner, Ricardo.

Speaker 9 (29:50):
Lawa thank you.

Speaker 1 (29:55):
Before I begin, I want to publicly thank the insurance
commissioners from across the nation and the international insurance supervisors
who have offered assistance and supporting and support during this
difficult time, my heart goes out to my fellow Angelino's
and to the firefighters currently battling these plazes.

Speaker 9 (30:12):
Maybe be clear my.

Speaker 1 (30:13):
Top priority is to protect all affected people during this
crisis and assist in their insurance recovery. My primary concern
at this very moment is to ensure that wildfire survivors
receive the insurance benefits to which they are entitled to
as soon as possible. I understand that this may be
new and the extent of the calamity here in southern

(30:35):
California and compounded by the insurance and financial stresses that.

Speaker 9 (30:40):
These wildfires have caused.

Speaker 1 (30:42):
However, at the Department of Insurance, we have been confronting
wildfires and other natural disasters throughout our entire state for
a very long time, making us unfortunately response experts. Now
is the time for you to focus on your family
and the your health. The last thing you should be
worrying about is your insurance. Here's what I've done to

(31:02):
protect our wildfire victims to date. I am using my
moratorium power to stop all non renewals and cancelations. Last night,
I issued a bulletin to protect homeowners affected by the
palisades and eaten fires from non renewals and cancelations by
your insurance companies for one year under a moratorium law

(31:23):
that I wrote while I was serving in the State Senate.
This covers you even if your home wasn't destroyed or
damaged in the wildfire. You can visit insurance dot CA
dot gov to look up your zip code if you
are near these wildfires and obtain that protection. I'm also
calling on insurance companies to suspend any pending non renewals

(31:45):
and cancelations that homeowners received before these fires started. This
means that if you've received the non renewal from your
homeowner's insurance between October ninth and January seventhential ninety days,
your insurance company should do the right thing and retain
you as a valued policy holder. I call upon all

(32:08):
property insurance companies to pause these non renewals and cancelations
and provide essential stability for our communities, allowing consumers to
focus on what's important at the moment, their safety and recovery.
In my notice, I also urged insurers to extend the
payment grace period beyond the existing sixty days for policy

(32:31):
holders in areas directly affected by the wildfires, enabling Angelinos
to pay their home insurance premiums amidst these the challenges
that they are currently facing, and if your policy was
not renewed, or if you don't have coverage, please call
us at one eight hundred ninety two seven four three

(32:53):
five seven. We can help you find additional solutions. I
have also directed my department's enforcement team to protect Angelinos
from frausters targeting wildfire survivors and to assist with the
ongoing evacuation efforts. My department has moved quickly to host
an insurance support workshop on January eighteenth and nineteenth at

(33:14):
Santa Monica College, followed by another event the following weekend
at Pasadena City College.

Speaker 5 (33:21):
We will have experts.

Speaker 1 (33:22):
From our staff and representatives from insurance companies available so
homeowners can obtain answers and take the action they need
in one convenient location. Again, call us at one eight
hundred ninet two seven four to three five seven to
schedule a.

Speaker 9 (33:38):
One on one appointment with our experts. Related to health.

Speaker 1 (33:43):
I've issued an additional notice to all California health insurers
directing them to submit emergency plans to my department. These
plans must detail how they're going to ensure that consumers
can continue to access essential medical care and obtain their medications.

Speaker 5 (33:59):
In awake of these disasters.

Speaker 1 (34:02):
I've been in constant communication with our county leaders, Governor,
the legislative leaders.

Speaker 9 (34:06):
And our congressional delegation to identify.

Speaker 1 (34:09):
Best ways to expedite our recovery, reduce wildfire risk, and
build a more climate resilient state and communities. Making homes
and communities safer from wildfires needs to be a top
priority for our state. Looking forward, I'm going to ask
the Governor and the state legislature to support my proposal
to provide consumers with home heartening grants.

Speaker 9 (34:32):
We need to put money in people's hands.

Speaker 1 (34:34):
This measure is critical to protecting homes and improving long
term resilience against wildfire risk. We are also going to
be introducing legislation to include businesses in our moratorium law.
Businesses are an important consumer of insurance and the financial
backbone of many communities, and they also need this vital protection.

(34:55):
Newly elected insurance reforms are now in effect to make
insurance rates more stable and predictable. My Sustainable Insurance strategy
mandates that insurance companies expand and maintain coverage in high
wildfire areas if they are going to use forward looking
catastrophic models and incorporate the reinsurance costs in the rate
making which my department just finalized in December. Why is

(35:19):
this important for our residents? It insures that Californians and
wildfire prone areas retain access to insurance and brings competition
back into the market and ultimately lowering the cost. Without
these measures, insurance companies may continue on renewals, leaving communities
at greater risk of under insurance and total loss of
coverage even with these devastating wildfires. I want to be clear,

(35:43):
I am confident that these reforms will keep us on
track to modernizing our insurance market, encourage insurers to return
and expand in California, and protect the solvency of our market.
We remain the largest insurance market in the nation, forth
in the world world. Our goal is to ensure they
remain financially solvent and can honor the claim that will

(36:06):
stabilize our insurance market in the long run. Now, let
me just quickly address issues surrounding the insurer of last resort, which.

Speaker 9 (36:14):
We call the Fair Plan.

Speaker 1 (36:15):
It has become clear that reforms are necessary as the
coverage maximums have not changed in thirty years. I recognize
that for some Californians the coverage livants, even the ones
that we've already implemented, are still very low. Under my strategy,
we have also ensured the creation of a stronger, more
sustainable fare plan with the long term financial strategy to

(36:36):
withstand the challenging fires we are experiencing today. Let me
be clear, once the fires are brought under control, we
will get data directly from the insurance industry and the
Fair Plan about claims filed that we have on all
the other fires that may or may not happen. We
are focused on maintaining the Fair Plan's financial health while

(37:00):
getting people back to the regular market where they belong.
In closing, our actions are focused on ensuring that the
insurance companies meet their commitments to the consumers, that Californians
and the Californians are protected, not just in this crisis,
but beyond.

Speaker 9 (37:16):
We are here to help. Please call us.

Speaker 1 (37:19):
We speak multiple languages in whatever language you feel comfortable.
Insurance can be complicated. We are here to help you
decipher your policy and help you understand what your rights
are as. Consumers, please call us at one eight hundred
ninet two seven four three five seven, or you can
use our live chat feature on our website at Insurance

(37:41):
dot ca dot gov. Together we will get through this.
I can assure you and thank you.

Speaker 2 (37:50):
Elie County Assessor Jeff praying.

Speaker 5 (37:57):
Good wording.

Speaker 18 (37:58):
Right now, government is very focused on bringing these fires
under control, but in the coming days the focus will
return to recovery. Initial reports suggest that ten thousand properties
have been damaged or destroyed, with hundreds more likely to
be discovered.

Speaker 5 (38:12):
In the coming days.

Speaker 18 (38:14):
I appreciate that property taxes are not high in the
list of things to worry about right now, as so
many are focused on housing and safety, but financial issues
will soon become a major issue for the victims.

Speaker 5 (38:24):
Of the fires.

Speaker 18 (38:25):
Under California law, if your property, your home, or your
business has been damaged or destroyed, you may qualify for
property tax relief under the Misfortune and Calamity Program. This
program allows my office to reduce your assessed value of
your property, which is what your taxes are based upon,
to reflect the damage.

Speaker 5 (38:45):
Here are the key details.

Speaker 9 (38:46):
To qualify.

Speaker 18 (38:47):
The damage needs to exceed ten thousand dollars and you
must file a claim within twelve months. Once filed, we
will investigate and verify the claim, determine the cost to cure,
and then reduce the assessed value effective the date of
the damage occurred. The reduction remains in place until the
property is repaired, rebuilt, or undergoes a change in ownership.
It does seem clear that we may need legislative help

(39:09):
to ensure maximum benefits to victims. I'm glad some legislators
are here today. I would look forward to talking to
them about.

Speaker 5 (39:18):
Making some of those fixes.

Speaker 18 (39:20):
The filing of this claim also facilitates coordination with the
Treasure tax Collector's office, allowing taxpayers who pay property taxes
directly that is not through an impound account with their
mortgage lender, to defer their current year of property taxes
without incurring penalties or interest. We are working closely with
our county partners to identify impacted properties and will assist

(39:42):
homeowners and businesses through every step of this process. For
all claims, we aim to do that process them as
quickly as possible. Once the tax roll is updated, the
auditory controller will recalculate the taxes. If you are due
a refund, it will be issued, or if taxes remain owed,
an adjusted bill with new due dates will be sent.
My staff who's here has handouts with a lot of

(40:03):
the information these programs detailed. I did want to also
emphasize that you should not pay anybody to access these services.
My office provides them all for free and we can
be reached at Assessor dot LA County dot gov or
at two one three nine seven four three two one one.

Speaker 2 (40:20):
Thank you, Thank you, US Fire Administrator, Doctor Lori Moore Merrill.

Speaker 3 (40:25):
Good morning, Thank you.

Speaker 19 (40:27):
FIMA and the US Fire Administration remains on the ground
to support the response and recovery efforts here for these fires.
And I just want to have a reminder, as the
mayor said, President Biden, through a Major Disaster Declaration, has
committed to cover cost associated with these fires at one
hundred percent for one hundred and eighty days.

Speaker 3 (40:46):
For those who are affected and individual assistance.

Speaker 19 (40:49):
You can go to Disaster Assistance dot gov, or if
you prefer to call someone, speak to someone directly.

Speaker 3 (40:56):
It is one eight hundred six two one three three
six two.

Speaker 19 (41:02):
Our hearts remain with those who are affected, and certainly
with the firefighters who continue the fight on the front lines, Helen,
I'll turn it back to you.

Speaker 2 (41:12):
Much Closing remarks.

Speaker 3 (41:16):
By shar Parkers, Thank you.

Speaker 6 (41:20):
In closing, I just have to say that this is
called One Voice, and it's one voice because while it's
focused on unincorporated Altadena and I know Palisades in Pasadena,
we're working with our state and our federal partners to
ensure that we are providing all the resources necessary. So

(41:41):
I want to acknowledge people that are here today, Studvisor
Holly Mitchell, our colleague who's here to support us, Passtina,
Mayor Victor Gordo, Santa Monica, Mari Lana Negrade, assembly Member
jess Reb Gabriel, and assembly Member Jessica Calosa, who are here.
Did I miss anybody? I think that's so again.

Speaker 5 (42:02):
I want to thank you all.

Speaker 6 (42:03):
And with that, we're going to take maybe one question
because I know we've got to run out to al Nina, but.

Speaker 2 (42:09):
Go ahead, Okay, why don't we go? Can we just supervise?
I'm so sorry. We'll just get a couple over here,
two or three well do By the way, we will
do one on one interviews afterwards, Okay, I will help
you get the information you need.

Speaker 9 (42:25):
Go ahead, Thank you.

Speaker 20 (42:26):
My question is for Mayor bas Jonathan Wigleye with CBS
News yesterday, you asked for the public's patients as you
assess the response. As you well know, then millions of
people receive false alarms. It's been acknowledged here in this
room that many may now be deactivating their alerts on

(42:47):
their phones. I have heard from many people who are
ignoring them. Altogether. We have red flag warnings still in effect.
They will resume again next week. There is no rain
in the forecast. What are you doing at this point
to earn back people's trusts and to make sure these
mistakes don't happen again.

Speaker 7 (43:06):
Well, first of all, I think that that was addressed
at the beginning of the press conference by Kevin McGowan.

Speaker 20 (43:12):
I would like that from you. I don't You're the opposite.

Speaker 5 (43:15):
So let let me just be clear.

Speaker 7 (43:18):
I am going to spend every moment that I can
making sure that I am in as many areas as possible,
meeting and talking to residents to see what is needed
in the recovery. But I also mentioned that we're moving
into recovery mode at the same time, meaning that we
want to see the city rebuilt. We want to see

(43:41):
los Angeles come together.

Speaker 5 (43:43):
Let me finish.

Speaker 7 (43:44):
We want to see Los Angeles come together.

Speaker 20 (43:48):
You have millions of people here who get these alerts.
You still have red flag warnings and the fact there
is a real threat here.

Speaker 5 (43:57):
What is your message to your constitution.

Speaker 7 (44:03):
I want the residents of Los Angeles region to have
faith in what we are doing. Twenty four hours a day.
I can say on behalf of our first responders, from
the fire Department, the police department, we are doing everything
we can to bring the situation under control and success cash.

Speaker 5 (44:25):
We know that we're.

Speaker 7 (44:26):
Going this one increase in the force of the winds
at the beginning of next week and getting Los Angeles prepared,
doing everything we can to save lives. That is our
number one job, to protect people's homes, to protect people's businesses,
and to prepare to rebuild Los Angeles in a much

(44:47):
better way. We're going to stand united. We're going to
stand together, and we are not going to allow politics
to interfere and we're not going to allow people to
drive for political gain.

Speaker 3 (44:59):
Thank you, Thank you, Mary.

Speaker 2 (45:00):
Best one over here.

Speaker 21 (45:01):
Bob Dicastro from Good Day Life, Fox eleven, just to
follow up on that, because even after yesterday that errant
message was sent out to Los Angeles counties some ten
million people overnight, people were still receiving many messages, and
we were even fielding calls from our own newsroom from
people as far as San Bernardino that we're receiving calls.

(45:23):
You have no idea why people are getting these alerts
and being startled in the middle of the night when
they're already on edge in the inland Empire.

Speaker 5 (45:32):
Why does that happened?

Speaker 21 (45:33):
You have no idea, And you also asked that people
verify and get onto a website. Not everybody has the
ability to jump on a website when they're panicked to
try and figure out whether or not this is an
actual alert.

Speaker 4 (45:47):
Thank you, and I appreciate the thought you're sharing in
the question. I would take a second to explain how
the alert system works. There's an interface and you activate
that interface with what type of an alert you're going
to send an evacuation order and evacuation warning, and you

(46:07):
identify a geographical area. After you initiate that, that message
package is sent into what is the Integrated Public and
Alert Warning System aggregator. That then transitions I'll call it
for lack of better terms, into a cloud that connects
with all of our cell service providers. The root cause

(46:32):
analysis is trying to establish where along that sequence there
is an error going on. And in addition to that,
it is important to understand that the cellular phone towers
have different reach in how they're activating the message to
the cell phone, and so it's a common phenomenon that

(46:55):
there's a term called bleedover where a cell phone that
may be in a different jurisdiction or a different area
is receiving that message from a cellular tower that may
be geographically in a different space. So right now, our
number one priority is to establish how we can work

(47:16):
with our will in coordination with our federal and state partners,
how we can stop the messages that are going out
right now that are not being initiated by a human
action to stop that and then understand how that occurred

(47:39):
so that the that the tool can still be used
for what was identified as like a critical fire weather
that we're still in experiencing and we'll continue to experience.

Speaker 6 (47:49):
So can I can I just follow up on that?
The bottom line is we are going to drill down
because I too got the alert. I got two alerts
and then I got an alert telling me to disregard
the alerts. And you know, as someone who has communities
that are on edge that are lined up, and I'm
sure Mery Guardo has the same situation going on as well.

(48:10):
They're on pins and needles thinking that they're next. So
we're drilling down right now, and the ways describing to
me as there are towers that are now powering up
and it's up in this cloud. It's kind of like
when you send an email and it goes into draft
and then once you hit Internet it gets sent. Similar
But my question is why can't we turn it off?
And the answers we're getting are not satisfying. I'm not

(48:32):
making any excuses. It's unacceptable and it is frustrating because
we are asking people to trust us, to believe us
when we say evacuate. So if we're gonna tell them
to go vacuately'd be able to make darn sure we're
targeting the right people. So don't think we're taking this lightly.
I'm not, and I know that my residents aren't.

Speaker 5 (48:53):
So I hear you.

Speaker 3 (48:54):
Loud and clear.

Speaker 6 (48:54):
The frustration you're hearing from me is based on the
frustration I'm hearing as well from my constituents who are asking,
when we get it, is it going to be legitimate?
Should we listen or should we ignore or disabled altogether.

(49:15):
I think that's absolutely ridiculous, and I told Kevin macga
on that to tell people to go on a website
when they may not have access to an Internet is
absolutely absurd, and that is quite frankly, not.

Speaker 3 (49:27):
Something that I am recommending.

Speaker 6 (49:28):
Obviously, for those that want to find out where the
evacuation centers are or I mean the evacuation locations are,
they can go on there and it is an accurate map,
but I'm not going to tell people if you get
the alert.

Speaker 5 (49:40):
Go on and check.

Speaker 6 (49:41):
I mean, I think that we need to fix this,
fix this problem so that in fact, when an alert
goes out, it is a legitimate alert that people can
listen to. So I hear you, I hear that criticism.
I personally, when I heard it, didn't feel that I
was going to tell people, well, if you get it,
just go on a website. Can but that's not going

(50:01):
to satisfy it the frustration that people have, So I
just want to make it clear to you.

Speaker 2 (50:07):
Thank you Cher Barger.

Speaker 3 (50:08):
We are at time, we're overtime. Thank you.

Speaker 2 (50:10):
We will do one on ones. If you need assistance,
please come see me or a member of the team.

Speaker 3 (50:15):
Thank you, speakers again.

Speaker 5 (50:16):
Thank you all for KFI is on it.

Speaker 20 (50:19):
Keep it here for updates on KFI AM sixty more
stimulating talk.

Speaker 11 (50:24):
Okay, we just heard a fairly extensive press conference.

Speaker 3 (50:27):
And a good one, I might add.

Speaker 11 (50:30):
There was a little bit of political clock trap, mainly
Karen Bass, the mayor, who started with we love you,
our hearts go out to you, you know, normal political problem,
and then went into some pretty good information and I
want to point a few things out, and then we're
going to go right to We're going to write to

(50:51):
Michael Monks, who is in the Pacific Palace, saves one.
The question of those alerts that went out all over
the count in it to Sander Bernardino that were incorrect
and then we're corrected. Bass took the question and it
was ridiculous. The answer, it was just stupid. I care,

(51:12):
we care, We're making the city better. Refuse to answer
the question. Catherine Barger then came up and explained it
exactly what happened and how it happened. And I thought
was terrific in understanding what went down and then said
and we're going to correct it. We're doing everything corrected effectively.

(51:33):
You know, who the hell knew it was going to
be this extensive, great job.

Speaker 5 (51:37):
I think that answered the question.

Speaker 11 (51:38):
One other thing about Ricardo Laura, the insurance Commissioner, who
also did a terrific job at explaining what's going on
with insurance homeowner's policy and the moratorium that he's forcing
the insurance companies to now adhere to one year no renewal,
cancellations and no income, no increase in premiums. And I

(52:04):
told you, he told you, this is what you have
to do, ABC, D and E and the insurance companies
have to act quickly. I'm going to go to the
other side for a moment, and that is if you
go back to twenty ten, the deep water horizon from
B and P that exploded in the golf and people
were absolutely devastated. They wrote out checks so quickly and

(52:26):
the fraud was so enormous they didn't have the time
to even check up on what the claims were. And
so here is the choice that the insurance companies have, and.

Speaker 3 (52:39):
Boy, is it a Hobson's choice.

Speaker 11 (52:41):
One, you go ahead and just write the checks when
the claims are made and don't take the time to
assess whether they're legitimate or not, because that takes time,
and when you're dealing with this level of devastation, it
takes time.

Speaker 5 (52:58):
And all of a sudden, I've been waiting.

Speaker 11 (53:00):
I been waiting.

Speaker 5 (53:00):
I've been waiting. So what do you do.

Speaker 11 (53:03):
You take the time to make sure fry doesn't happen,
or do you write the checks right now? That's the choice,
And I just wanted people to understand that it's not
one sided. Okay, Michael Monks, We're gonna finish the hour.
Michael Monks in Pacific Palisades, Michael, I'm sure you're gonna
be talking to Gary and Shannon. Also, what's going on
where you are?

Speaker 22 (53:22):
Well, I'm standing on Pacific Coast Highway here on the
outskirts of the Palisades, and you know, you just can't
help even in this type of environment of destruction taken.
Why people live here despite the threats of nature like this,
with the tranquility of the ocean, the birds, the streak
of sunshine reflecting on the ocean water this morning, but

(53:43):
the horizon of the ocean is so close right now.
Because of the haze of the lingering smoke, it is
just smoldered right over the water, burying any direction. You
can barely see from where I am in any different distance.
There are no people around, just emergency workers, and they
are from all over. Of course, they're from here in

(54:04):
La La County, and you are also seeing some of
the surrounding counties. But so far this morning, I've seen
fire trucks from San Francisco. I've seen fire trucks from
Clark County, Nevada. So Las Vegas has sent their help
here and you are seeing them. And that is the
only traffic basically that you're seeing on PCH right now,
going in both directions. Some of them headed into the fire,

(54:24):
some of them headed in the opposite direction to take
a much needed break. My goodness, these folks look exhausted
from the battle that they've been waging over the past
couple of days. It's just you can't imagine the type
of work that they've been doing. We've all seen the
images of the Palisades. It's virtually gone, but when you

(54:45):
see it up close, this is a picture that won't
leave your mind anytime soon. There are so many clues
lingering here that there was life here just days ago.
All this damage, all this destruction is so fresh. I
just stood outside a burned out apartment building, water still
shooting out of the top of it. You got two

(55:06):
scorch preuses buried under a tree outside of that building.

Speaker 5 (55:10):
And some places somehow managed to be spared.

Speaker 22 (55:12):
A couple of residential towers here on Pch the Vaughn,
some convenience stores. But this is no longer a vibrate
part of La. You know that this is just an
absolute scene of destruction. Now there are some adventure seekers.

Speaker 11 (55:27):
That's exactly what I was going to ask one question
before we lock out, and Gary and Shannon come aboard,
and I'm sure they're going to have you talk about
what you're seeing, and that is, are you seeing any
home owners in the area coming back and looking at
what happened to their homes?

Speaker 22 (55:44):
This is different on this Palisa from what I experienced
on Dina yesterday, where folks were creeping up the street
on foot because they were not allowed to drive up there.
You saw people in that city going back to assess
the damage or if they were fortunate and their place
still stood in some fashion, gathering what they could. I'm
not seeing a lot of civilian traffic here in this

(56:05):
section of the Palisades right now. I know in other
parts folks have gone back and seen, but.

Speaker 5 (56:10):
A lot of the streets are blocked off.

Speaker 22 (56:11):
As you know, is either here by now and see
them at the checklist morning or on their way, And
that's going to change the perception of how it feels
here even further. It's already war zone light. It's only Michael.

Speaker 11 (56:23):
I've got to interrupt you for two reasons. Number one,
you're fading in and out. We have a little bit
of a technical glitch. And number two, I'm out of here.
So I'm sure Gary and Shannon are going to have
you on in the next while. So hang loose. Michael
Monks reporting from pH at Pacific Palisades and I'm back.

Speaker 5 (56:46):
Well. Tomorrow's Handle on the Law.

Speaker 11 (56:48):
Monday, it's we start all over again. Wake up call
at five am and hopefully and then we come aboard
at six and hopefully we're gonna have some much better
news come Monday. This is KFI six. You've been listening
to the Bill Handle Show. Catch my show Monday through
Friday six am to nine am, and anytime on demand

(57:09):
on the iHeartRadio app.