MARCH 2025. Blues Vol 41 No.3

AROUND THE COUNTRYLOS

AROUND THE COUNTRYLOS ANGELES, CA.A state in crisis, California first responders battleunprecedented wildfires and arrest looters.The devastation of SouthernCalifornia’s raging January wildfireshas turned scenic neighborhoodsthroughout Los AngelesCounty into battlegrounds of fireand ash, destroying entire communities,uprooting countlessfamilies, causing an estimated0 to 5 billion in damageand taking the lives of over 20residents.As these ferocious, wind-fedblazes continue to ravage thearea, the heroic efforts of firstresponders are front and center.Firefighters, police officers andemergency medical teams haveworked tirelessly under brutalconditions, risking their ownlives to save others and protectas much infrastructure as possible,even while some of theirown families face evacuation orthe loss of their homes. Officershave not only been on the frontlines assisting with evacuatingresidents from danger zones,but have also been working tostop nefarious criminal activityaround the affected areas.On January 13, Los Angeles authoritiesannounced that nearly50 arrests had been made byofficers patrolling L.A. County56 The BLUES - MARCH ‘25neighborhoods impacted by theEaton and Palisades fires, whichhad combined to burn nearly40,000 acres and destroy over13,000 structures.Those arrested face chargesranging from looting and burglaryto trespassing and vandalism— and there have also beenarrests linked to drone incidentsthat interfered with firefightingaircraft, authorities said. TheLos Angeles Police Departmenthad made 14 arrests within thecity: “Three for curfew, one forpossession of burglary tools,four for burglary, one for DUI,one for felony vandalism andthree for shoplifting,” AssistantChief Dominic Choi said. “It’s notjust for looting or burglary thatyou’re going to jail … if you’rein the area and you don’t belongin the area, you will be stoppedand questioned, and whatevercrime is being committed, youwill be held accountable forthat.”Authorities vowed to prosecuteillegal drone flights aftera civilian drone collided with aCanadian “Super Scooper” aircraftfighting the Palisades Fire,forcing it to be grounded.A man was also arrested in thearea of the Palisades Fire whohad been impersonating a firefighter,L.A. County Sheriff RobertLuna said on January 12 during apress briefing.“When I was out there in theMalibu area, I saw a gentleman

who looked like a firefighter, andI asked him if he was OK becausehe was sitting down,” Lunatold reporters. “I didn’t realizewe had him in handcuffs. Weare turning him over to LAPDbecause he was dressed like afireman, and he was not. He justgot caught burglarizing a home.So those are issues that our frontline deputies and police officersare dealing with.”Other issues have hit closerto home for law enforcement.In the city of Altadena, whichwas decimated by the Eaton fire,with over 14,000 acres burned,at least 17 deaths and thousandsof structures damaged, sheriff’sstation employees were evacuatedand the building was leftwithout water and electricity,forcing deputies to operate underincreasingly difficult circumstanceswhile still responding tothe needs of the public. Despitethese setbacks, deputies continuedto enforce evacuationorders, provide security to evacuatedareas and assist residentsin navigating this unprecedentedcrisis.“There was some fire at theAltadena Station — we did haveto clear out our employeesthere,” Luna said during a pressconference. He added that asdeputies attempted to evacuatethe station, residents wererunning from different directionsto the deputies, asking forhelp in getting out of structures.“From what I understand, theywere barely able to get peopleout before the structures startedburning,” he said.As recovery efforts continue,the courage and resilience displayedby law enforcement haveoffered a glimmer of hope. Inneighborhoods reduced to ash,stories of bravery and solidarityhave emerged. One such storycame when a New York Timesphoto captured Pasadena PoliceOfficer Chrystian Banuelos carryinga 101-year-old resident tosafety during an evacuation.“Thank you to our brave firstresponders who are workingtirelessly to protect our communityfrom this devastation — weappreciate you and everythingyou are doing,” L.A. County DistrictAttorney Nathan Hochmansaid in a statement. “This is atime for compassion, resilienceand unity. The work of rebuildingwill take time, but together, wewill emerge stronger.”The BLUES - MARCH ‘25 57