Los Angeles fire budget cut, hundreds of hydrants stolen for scrap before fires

54253579557_3ada259f23_k — A photo of the Palisades Fire that started in the city of Los Angeles in January 2025. (Courtesy of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection)

(The Center Square) – Hundreds of fire hydrants were stolen from the ground for scrap metal in advance of the blazes raging across Los Angeles, highlighting the local government’s challenges in maintaining basic order and infrastructure.

“These fire hydrant thefts are yet another sign of how crime is out of control in Los Angeles County,” said Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman to The Center Square before his November election. “Thieves know they’ll face little or no consequences if they are caught, so they’re willing to risk the public’s safety for a small profit.”

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, who has been away on a taxpayer-funded trip to Africa as a member of a Biden administration delegation, recently cut the fire department’s budget by $17.6 million.

Upon her arrival back in the United States, Sky News asked Bass whether she regrets cutting the fire department’s budget, and if she feels she owes citizens an apology for being absent as the city burned.

Bass ignored the questions, her eyes glued to the ground as she proceeded through the airport.

Days before Bass left for Ghana, the National Weather Service’s Los Angeles Bureau warned of “extreme fire weather conditions.”

The day before fires broke out, Bass shared a NWS warning, suggesting she may have been aware of the fire before her departure.

“There is an expected destructive and potentially life-threatening windstorm starting Tuesday morning through Wednesday afternoon,” said Bass. “Stay safe LA!”