1 00:00:00,840 --> 00:00:03,720 Speaker 1: I am six forty. You're listening to the John Cobelt 2 00:00:03,760 --> 00:00:07,800 Speaker 1: podcast on the iHeartRadio app. We are on every day 3 00:00:07,800 --> 00:00:11,160 Speaker 1: from one until four o'clock. After four o'clock, it's John 4 00:00:11,160 --> 00:00:14,840 Speaker 1: Cobelt Show on demand. It's the podcast on the iHeart app. Now, 5 00:00:15,480 --> 00:00:19,880 Speaker 1: Mark Arragos is getting into the Pacific Palisades case. He 6 00:00:19,960 --> 00:00:23,479 Speaker 1: has a homeowner who's filing a lawsuit against City of 7 00:00:23,600 --> 00:00:28,600 Speaker 1: La County of La LA's DWP and Mayor Karen Bass 8 00:00:29,160 --> 00:00:32,320 Speaker 1: over all the failures before, during, and after the fire. 9 00:00:32,400 --> 00:00:34,320 Speaker 1: Let's get Mark Garragos on. How are you? Mark? 10 00:00:35,320 --> 00:00:37,440 Speaker 2: I'm wonderful. How about you? How are you today? 11 00:00:37,960 --> 00:00:40,080 Speaker 1: I'm doing well? What going on? 12 00:00:40,760 --> 00:00:42,280 Speaker 2: What you're kidding? 13 00:00:42,760 --> 00:00:47,480 Speaker 1: Well, you're a client? What was his situation in the fire? 14 00:00:47,520 --> 00:00:48,400 Speaker 1: What happened to him? 15 00:00:48,760 --> 00:00:53,760 Speaker 2: Well, it's one of these situations where at least at 16 00:00:53,800 --> 00:00:57,160 Speaker 2: first you thought, well, at least the structure was spared, 17 00:00:57,200 --> 00:01:02,520 Speaker 2: but then you see what happened since and surrounding the area, 18 00:01:02,000 --> 00:01:06,040 Speaker 2: and what a disaster it's been, and then all of 19 00:01:06,080 --> 00:01:11,640 Speaker 2: the subsequent kind of looking at this thing and it 20 00:01:11,920 --> 00:01:15,800 Speaker 2: just looked like it was a lights were on and 21 00:01:15,880 --> 00:01:18,600 Speaker 2: nobody was home. In terms of minding the sort here 22 00:01:18,959 --> 00:01:23,559 Speaker 2: I don't even understand the gives credit to the FEDS 23 00:01:23,600 --> 00:01:28,119 Speaker 2: for doing a report, and credit to the fire department. 24 00:01:28,680 --> 00:01:31,840 Speaker 2: We're based in a fire station in downtown LA and 25 00:01:32,400 --> 00:01:35,199 Speaker 2: I've always pulling attention to them, and they were early 26 00:01:35,240 --> 00:01:37,920 Speaker 2: money on all of the problems with the city and 27 00:01:38,000 --> 00:01:41,399 Speaker 2: what the city wasn't doing. And it's just a I 28 00:01:41,400 --> 00:01:43,240 Speaker 2: would say it was a comedy of airs, but it's 29 00:01:43,240 --> 00:01:47,680 Speaker 2: been a complete tragedy for everybody involved at police, of 30 00:01:47,760 --> 00:01:51,920 Speaker 2: which is the mayor. And you've got them kind of 31 00:01:52,640 --> 00:01:55,800 Speaker 2: dealing with it. You've documented better than anybody. 32 00:01:56,400 --> 00:02:00,840 Speaker 1: Yeah, I am still stunned, even after talking about this 33 00:02:00,920 --> 00:02:04,320 Speaker 1: for a year, that those those weather warnings were so 34 00:02:04,400 --> 00:02:11,600 Speaker 1: strong for you know, five six days ahead, extreme fire warnings, 35 00:02:11,600 --> 00:02:16,600 Speaker 1: extreme wind warnings. They used all the apocalyptic language you 36 00:02:16,639 --> 00:02:19,280 Speaker 1: could find in the dictionary the National Weather Service did 37 00:02:19,600 --> 00:02:23,919 Speaker 1: in order to describe what potentially could happen. And I'm 38 00:02:23,960 --> 00:02:27,120 Speaker 1: not aware of any any preparation meeting that anybody in 39 00:02:27,160 --> 00:02:29,680 Speaker 1: the LA government had to address what. 40 00:02:29,800 --> 00:02:33,520 Speaker 2: Was comt I don't even understand it. I mean, I 41 00:02:33,520 --> 00:02:36,120 Speaker 2: really don't. You do you rely on the government. There's 42 00:02:36,200 --> 00:02:40,880 Speaker 2: some basic functions and the idea is that they're supposed 43 00:02:40,880 --> 00:02:44,240 Speaker 2: to protect you, and it's almost as if they did 44 00:02:44,280 --> 00:02:49,440 Speaker 2: everything possible to not protect and that's just very disconcerting. 45 00:02:49,480 --> 00:02:52,120 Speaker 2: And I'm looking forward to the discovery in this case. 46 00:02:52,200 --> 00:02:56,080 Speaker 2: I think the discovery getting people on their owns and requiring, 47 00:02:56,200 --> 00:02:59,320 Speaker 2: you know, the after reports and what was done in 48 00:02:59,360 --> 00:03:01,799 Speaker 2: real time, and the kinds of clearing balls that we're 49 00:03:01,840 --> 00:03:03,400 Speaker 2: done were ignored. 50 00:03:04,320 --> 00:03:06,239 Speaker 1: You know. Had I got a lot of friends in 51 00:03:06,280 --> 00:03:10,520 Speaker 1: the Palisades. It's next door to me, and we were 52 00:03:10,560 --> 00:03:13,200 Speaker 1: affected to the extent that we lost our power and 53 00:03:13,240 --> 00:03:17,160 Speaker 1: we couldn't use the water, and then the thieves descended 54 00:03:17,200 --> 00:03:19,040 Speaker 1: on our neighborhood because there were no police. I mean, 55 00:03:19,080 --> 00:03:21,200 Speaker 1: there's no power, there's no water, there was no police. 56 00:03:22,280 --> 00:03:25,040 Speaker 1: But we didn't our neighborhood didn't burn. We were a 57 00:03:25,040 --> 00:03:27,880 Speaker 1: couple of miles away. But I remember thinking in the 58 00:03:27,880 --> 00:03:30,160 Speaker 1: middle of it, it's like, Wow, this is a complete 59 00:03:30,680 --> 00:03:33,960 Speaker 1: collapse of the government. You're really on your own. And 60 00:03:34,000 --> 00:03:37,440 Speaker 1: we had to hire a guy who was somebody's electrician 61 00:03:37,480 --> 00:03:41,680 Speaker 1: in the neighborhood, and he had a pistol and we 62 00:03:41,680 --> 00:03:43,640 Speaker 1: were paying him, along with a couple of neighbors, one 63 00:03:43,640 --> 00:03:47,000 Speaker 1: thousand dollars a day to stand outside and shoot any 64 00:03:47,000 --> 00:03:50,000 Speaker 1: of the looters that might come on our property. That's 65 00:03:50,000 --> 00:03:52,200 Speaker 1: what that's well, that was our reality. 66 00:03:53,720 --> 00:03:56,680 Speaker 2: I like you, I was out to DA adjacent and 67 00:03:56,720 --> 00:04:01,720 Speaker 2: we were evacuated. I my span of band godal Siri 68 00:04:01,880 --> 00:04:04,280 Speaker 2: or off the wall theory is the only reason that 69 00:04:04,320 --> 00:04:06,960 Speaker 2: the fire didn't jump and hit us is because JPL 70 00:04:07,120 --> 00:04:09,280 Speaker 2: was right there and they weren't going to let that burn. 71 00:04:09,400 --> 00:04:14,040 Speaker 2: But they be looting the home invasions immediately after, and 72 00:04:14,120 --> 00:04:16,600 Speaker 2: we did the same thing. All the neighbors banded together 73 00:04:16,720 --> 00:04:20,039 Speaker 2: and it's kind of air and narrow and private police 74 00:04:20,040 --> 00:04:23,360 Speaker 2: force in order to police the neighborhood. And you start 75 00:04:23,400 --> 00:04:28,279 Speaker 2: to realize that the social contract is very, very fragile. 76 00:04:28,360 --> 00:04:32,280 Speaker 2: And this exposed exactly all of the problems with the 77 00:04:32,320 --> 00:04:35,360 Speaker 2: government in not being prepared. It's the one thing that 78 00:04:35,400 --> 00:04:39,240 Speaker 2: they literally weren't doing. 79 00:04:40,120 --> 00:04:43,080 Speaker 1: Why do you think that is they don't care? 80 00:04:44,680 --> 00:04:49,480 Speaker 2: I will, I think to some degree now I just 81 00:04:49,560 --> 00:04:53,120 Speaker 2: can't accept the fact that people don't care, and just 82 00:04:53,480 --> 00:04:56,200 Speaker 2: I don't think that that is it. I think that 83 00:04:56,600 --> 00:04:58,839 Speaker 2: I think when you say lazy, I think of it 84 00:04:58,880 --> 00:05:02,800 Speaker 2: as intellectually. I think that it's that you have to 85 00:05:02,839 --> 00:05:06,560 Speaker 2: be prepared, you have to understand these things, and you 86 00:05:06,680 --> 00:05:10,279 Speaker 2: have to have go of systems and advicement was obvious 87 00:05:10,320 --> 00:05:13,320 Speaker 2: that there were no systems or whatever systems were in 88 00:05:13,400 --> 00:05:18,239 Speaker 2: place were completely ignored. It's the intellectually lazy or the 89 00:05:18,640 --> 00:05:19,720 Speaker 2: system challenges. 90 00:05:21,040 --> 00:05:25,040 Speaker 1: And everything failed, the preparation, the execution, and the reaction 91 00:05:25,120 --> 00:05:28,159 Speaker 1: to the fire afterwards, and on a state level and 92 00:05:28,279 --> 00:05:34,760 Speaker 1: county and city. I mean everything failed and I didn't 93 00:05:34,760 --> 00:05:35,880 Speaker 1: think that was possible. 94 00:05:37,080 --> 00:05:42,200 Speaker 2: Well, and you know the I often invoke Adam Corolla. 95 00:05:42,240 --> 00:05:45,320 Speaker 2: He's the longtime friend, one time the best partner of 96 00:05:45,320 --> 00:05:49,080 Speaker 2: mine and was invallable and has been documenting in his blogs. 97 00:05:49,640 --> 00:05:53,320 Speaker 2: But the predictions that he was making and they've all 98 00:05:53,560 --> 00:05:56,080 Speaker 2: basically come true. It's looked like kind of a profit 99 00:05:56,240 --> 00:06:01,880 Speaker 2: in some ways, saying when people understand the jump through 100 00:06:01,920 --> 00:06:04,279 Speaker 2: to get a permit, what you have to do in 101 00:06:04,400 --> 00:06:07,840 Speaker 2: order to get to kind of navigate the governmentals, it's 102 00:06:08,000 --> 00:06:11,920 Speaker 2: astonishing and it's played out exactly that way. Here we 103 00:06:11,960 --> 00:06:16,039 Speaker 2: are knocking on the door of a year, and where's 104 00:06:16,120 --> 00:06:20,240 Speaker 2: the rebot? Where is anything there? Just is now? Responsiveness 105 00:06:20,320 --> 00:06:23,279 Speaker 2: is appallen, and it's just I think people have to 106 00:06:23,320 --> 00:06:24,320 Speaker 2: be held accountables. 107 00:06:24,800 --> 00:06:26,600 Speaker 1: So who do you want to talk to? The most. 108 00:06:26,839 --> 00:06:29,880 Speaker 1: What departments or what officials do you want to depose 109 00:06:30,160 --> 00:06:31,200 Speaker 1: for your client's loss? 110 00:06:31,320 --> 00:06:33,360 Speaker 2: Really, I really think I want to get into the 111 00:06:33,400 --> 00:06:37,279 Speaker 2: fire department and the mayor's office and the emergency response. 112 00:06:37,480 --> 00:06:40,880 Speaker 2: I want to find out who actually was responsible, who 113 00:06:41,040 --> 00:06:44,640 Speaker 2: didn't want the triggers so to speak of getting some 114 00:06:46,040 --> 00:06:49,839 Speaker 2: to your point, I mean not only preparation, but right 115 00:06:49,920 --> 00:06:53,680 Speaker 2: in the after. And that is exactly what we want 116 00:06:53,680 --> 00:06:56,800 Speaker 2: to find out. What I think we've kind of detailed 117 00:06:57,000 --> 00:07:03,560 Speaker 2: in the lawsuit as to what we've seen so far, 118 00:07:03,720 --> 00:07:06,840 Speaker 2: what we've coddled together from the various reports, and we'll 119 00:07:06,880 --> 00:07:11,520 Speaker 2: plan on doing an expansive discovery, deep dive into this 120 00:07:11,800 --> 00:07:16,040 Speaker 2: and make it once we get through it as we're 121 00:07:16,040 --> 00:07:16,440 Speaker 2: doing it. 122 00:07:18,000 --> 00:07:19,960 Speaker 1: But why do your client decide to call you for 123 00:07:20,000 --> 00:07:22,800 Speaker 1: an individual lawsuit rather than join the thousands that are 124 00:07:22,800 --> 00:07:24,040 Speaker 1: working with the other attorneys. 125 00:07:26,280 --> 00:07:29,600 Speaker 2: You know, it's interesting because early on I was I 126 00:07:29,960 --> 00:07:33,000 Speaker 2: did what's called a nine to ten action for them 127 00:07:33,680 --> 00:07:38,760 Speaker 2: because they suspected that and others as well, that this 128 00:07:38,960 --> 00:07:41,880 Speaker 2: was a governmental failure like you thought, and so we 129 00:07:42,000 --> 00:07:44,560 Speaker 2: filed what it called nine ten actions early on, which 130 00:07:44,560 --> 00:07:50,440 Speaker 2: were denied nine tens or what the legislature is imposed 131 00:07:50,440 --> 00:07:53,600 Speaker 2: a duty that you file and you get denied doing 132 00:07:53,760 --> 00:07:57,760 Speaker 2: almost routinely by the governmental entities to hold them accountable. 133 00:07:58,080 --> 00:08:01,640 Speaker 2: They I think, because I got a history, is like 134 00:08:02,520 --> 00:08:05,760 Speaker 2: pulling up against the government, whether it's for civil rights 135 00:08:05,760 --> 00:08:09,080 Speaker 2: actions or other things. And this I think drink class 136 00:08:09,160 --> 00:08:12,000 Speaker 2: or umbermental sound earl. That's one of the things that 137 00:08:12,320 --> 00:08:13,880 Speaker 2: attracted me of new litigation. 138 00:08:14,880 --> 00:08:18,040 Speaker 1: All right. Well, well, when you find things out, and 139 00:08:18,080 --> 00:08:21,360 Speaker 1: if you want to share anything from your investigations and depositions, 140 00:08:21,360 --> 00:08:23,800 Speaker 1: please always come on the air, because we're looking for 141 00:08:23,840 --> 00:08:27,000 Speaker 1: as much information as possible to explain why these people 142 00:08:27,800 --> 00:08:32,400 Speaker 1: did or didn't do everything. I mean, I can't think 143 00:08:32,440 --> 00:08:35,079 Speaker 1: of one thing that any level of government did right 144 00:08:35,760 --> 00:08:40,240 Speaker 1: and did competently in the whole mess. 145 00:08:40,040 --> 00:08:45,440 Speaker 2: And still take a look. Yeah, don't totally me. Don't 146 00:08:45,480 --> 00:08:47,680 Speaker 2: take a look. It's wild when you look at it. 147 00:08:47,880 --> 00:08:50,920 Speaker 2: We're almost a year out or a couple of weeks 148 00:08:50,920 --> 00:08:55,439 Speaker 2: away from the year anniversary, and the devastation is still unbelievable. 149 00:08:56,040 --> 00:09:00,360 Speaker 1: All right, Mark, thanks for coming on, Thank you bike. 150 00:09:00,440 --> 00:09:04,240 Speaker 1: All Right, Mark Geragos, who's got a client who's suing 151 00:09:05,120 --> 00:09:09,880 Speaker 1: everybody La City, County, the mayor, DWP over the damage 152 00:09:09,920 --> 00:09:14,280 Speaker 1: his house suffered from the fire, and when we come back, 153 00:09:14,400 --> 00:09:23,320 Speaker 1: would you believe this? I UCLA has something called the 154 00:09:23,360 --> 00:09:29,199 Speaker 1: Water Resources Group, and the researchers have done their own 155 00:09:29,400 --> 00:09:34,560 Speaker 1: study on whether the reservoirs would have made a difference. 156 00:09:34,720 --> 00:09:38,000 Speaker 1: If the one hundred and seventeen million gallon reservoir Sentienez 157 00:09:38,040 --> 00:09:40,040 Speaker 1: Reservoir in the Palace, would it have made a difference. 158 00:09:40,080 --> 00:09:44,520 Speaker 1: It was if it was full instead of bone dry empty. 159 00:09:44,679 --> 00:09:48,199 Speaker 1: You're not going to believe their answer. I'll tell you 160 00:09:48,200 --> 00:09:49,040 Speaker 1: about it we come back. 161 00:09:49,760 --> 00:09:54,080 Speaker 3: You're listening to John Cobelt on demand from KFI AM 162 00:09:54,120 --> 00:09:54,640 Speaker 3: six forty. 163 00:09:56,120 --> 00:09:59,160 Speaker 1: Follow us at John Cobelt Radio. On social media at 164 00:09:59,240 --> 00:10:01,800 Speaker 1: John Cobelt and if you want to subscribe to our 165 00:10:01,840 --> 00:10:06,600 Speaker 1: YouTube channel, it's YouTube dot com slash at John Cobelt's show. 166 00:10:06,760 --> 00:10:10,240 Speaker 1: A little bit different YouTube dot com slash at John 167 00:10:10,280 --> 00:10:13,199 Speaker 1: Cobelt Show to subscribe to the YouTube channel where we're 168 00:10:13,200 --> 00:10:16,280 Speaker 1: putting longer segments on, and then it's at John Cobert 169 00:10:16,360 --> 00:10:21,000 Speaker 1: Radio for everything else. The UCLA has something called the 170 00:10:21,000 --> 00:10:25,640 Speaker 1: Water Resources Group. It's researchers led by Gregory Pierce, and 171 00:10:25,960 --> 00:10:31,679 Speaker 1: almost within I think I mentioned this. We had Rick 172 00:10:31,760 --> 00:10:37,960 Speaker 1: Caruso on the day after the fire very shortly thereafter, 173 00:10:39,679 --> 00:10:42,600 Speaker 1: and he said in passing, and I didn't even catch it, 174 00:10:42,640 --> 00:10:45,199 Speaker 1: but he was talking. He already had identified all a 175 00:10:45,240 --> 00:10:47,199 Speaker 1: lot of the stuff that had gone wrong with the 176 00:10:47,679 --> 00:10:52,680 Speaker 1: anticipation and execution of fighting the fire. And he said 177 00:10:52,679 --> 00:10:56,599 Speaker 1: something about the reservoirs were dry, and I didn't know 178 00:10:56,640 --> 00:10:59,800 Speaker 1: what that meant, and we just moved on to something 179 00:10:59,840 --> 00:11:01,720 Speaker 1: else else, And then it turned out he was talking 180 00:11:01,720 --> 00:11:04,920 Speaker 1: about the Santienez reservoir, one hundred and seventeen million gallons 181 00:11:05,160 --> 00:11:09,720 Speaker 1: it's supposed to hold, and it was empty. And that 182 00:11:09,800 --> 00:11:13,120 Speaker 1: became a huge focal point of the anger and the 183 00:11:13,160 --> 00:11:16,559 Speaker 1: outrage because the La Times did a big story detailing 184 00:11:16,640 --> 00:11:21,800 Speaker 1: how they drained it because the cover had torn and 185 00:11:22,040 --> 00:11:25,240 Speaker 1: it took them a year to replace. The cover didn't 186 00:11:25,280 --> 00:11:27,680 Speaker 1: cost very much money. It wasn't a difficult job. It 187 00:11:27,760 --> 00:11:34,160 Speaker 1: was just the inertia, the stupid laziness of government workers 188 00:11:34,240 --> 00:11:36,280 Speaker 1: at the DWP. I don't know else. We were just 189 00:11:36,320 --> 00:11:38,800 Speaker 1: talking with Mark Arragos, like, what is it? What is 190 00:11:38,800 --> 00:11:43,679 Speaker 1: it with the government workers? Nobody prepared for this, nobody executed. 191 00:11:43,760 --> 00:11:47,199 Speaker 1: This was all doable, this was all preventable. What's wrong 192 00:11:47,320 --> 00:11:50,240 Speaker 1: with you people? When you get up in the morning 193 00:11:50,280 --> 00:11:58,040 Speaker 1: you decide not to do anything, but periodically the reservoir 194 00:11:58,040 --> 00:12:00,920 Speaker 1: would come, you know, be a debate point and people, 195 00:12:01,920 --> 00:12:05,760 Speaker 1: you know, whatever plants the Beast administration had online in 196 00:12:05,800 --> 00:12:08,040 Speaker 1: the comments section. Let's say at the LA Times, Well, 197 00:12:08,120 --> 00:12:10,559 Speaker 1: the reservoir wouldn't have made a difference all the reservoir. 198 00:12:10,880 --> 00:12:13,440 Speaker 1: Of course, it would make a difference. And as I 199 00:12:13,600 --> 00:12:16,840 Speaker 1: talked to people involved in the fire, and I mentioned 200 00:12:16,840 --> 00:12:19,800 Speaker 1: the other day, I talked to a guy who prevented 201 00:12:19,840 --> 00:12:24,040 Speaker 1: his home and two other neighbors homes from burning because 202 00:12:24,080 --> 00:12:27,200 Speaker 1: he had two and a half inch hose and he 203 00:12:27,280 --> 00:12:30,000 Speaker 1: used I think swimming pool water and he kept the 204 00:12:30,080 --> 00:12:34,120 Speaker 1: roofs wet and they survived the fire, where other homes 205 00:12:34,120 --> 00:12:38,400 Speaker 1: in the neighborhood did not two and a half inch SHOs. 206 00:12:38,920 --> 00:12:42,760 Speaker 1: He'd had it because a fire had burned down his 207 00:12:42,840 --> 00:12:45,760 Speaker 1: family home back in the nineteen seventies when he was 208 00:12:45,760 --> 00:12:49,880 Speaker 1: a little kid, and so he always kept the fire 209 00:12:51,080 --> 00:12:57,040 Speaker 1: a hose on the property just in case. And he said, 210 00:12:57,040 --> 00:13:01,360 Speaker 1: nobody showed up to fight the fire, and firefighters would say, well, 211 00:13:01,360 --> 00:13:05,000 Speaker 1: we're out of water. We're out of water. So now 212 00:13:05,000 --> 00:13:09,120 Speaker 1: here comes Gregory Piers, director of the UCLA Water Resources 213 00:13:09,160 --> 00:13:13,160 Speaker 1: group that wanted to decide whether the intense focus on 214 00:13:13,200 --> 00:13:18,720 Speaker 1: the water supply meant that the dry hydrants had uniquely 215 00:13:18,760 --> 00:13:22,920 Speaker 1: hampered the Palisades firefight or whether this happened all the time. 216 00:13:25,640 --> 00:13:33,640 Speaker 1: And they claim that the hydrants often sputter out because 217 00:13:34,559 --> 00:13:39,600 Speaker 1: you lose pressure. You have the burning homes, hemorrhaging water 218 00:13:39,760 --> 00:13:42,920 Speaker 1: right the pipes are melting down and busting, and then 219 00:13:42,960 --> 00:13:47,240 Speaker 1: there's too many fire truck hoses and everybody else drawing 220 00:13:47,280 --> 00:13:51,440 Speaker 1: on a limited supply. And the report says fire hydrant 221 00:13:51,520 --> 00:13:54,840 Speaker 1: performance in the Palisades seems to represent the rule rather 222 00:13:54,880 --> 00:14:00,439 Speaker 1: than the exception. The only difference is that the hydrant 223 00:14:00,440 --> 00:14:05,240 Speaker 1: performance did not make the headlines of news stories of 224 00:14:05,320 --> 00:14:10,400 Speaker 1: other fires. Even though there's plenty of water available in 225 00:14:10,400 --> 00:14:13,040 Speaker 1: the system, it's not possible to pump enough water to 226 00:14:13,160 --> 00:14:15,880 Speaker 1: the fire area all at once to meet the flow 227 00:14:15,960 --> 00:14:20,840 Speaker 1: rate demand. Even if the Yes Santienez Reservoir had been full, 228 00:14:21,080 --> 00:14:27,760 Speaker 1: the hydrants could not have maintained pressure. I don't and 229 00:14:27,800 --> 00:14:31,880 Speaker 1: that last quote was from the state investigation. Now that 230 00:14:32,040 --> 00:14:39,840 Speaker 1: just makes no sense to me. If everybody's using the 231 00:14:39,880 --> 00:14:44,160 Speaker 1: water at the same time and that reduces the water pressure. 232 00:14:44,840 --> 00:14:47,520 Speaker 1: But if you have one hundred and seventeen million gallons 233 00:14:47,560 --> 00:14:50,600 Speaker 1: constantly flowing into the system. It's going to extend the 234 00:14:50,720 --> 00:15:05,160 Speaker 1: life of their fire fighting capabilities. And and if it is 235 00:15:06,840 --> 00:15:09,960 Speaker 1: the lack of water pressure, then how could Los Angeles 236 00:15:10,000 --> 00:15:13,520 Speaker 1: have for one hundred years and we've had a number 237 00:15:13,520 --> 00:15:15,560 Speaker 1: of fires over the years. How could you have a 238 00:15:15,640 --> 00:15:20,160 Speaker 1: system that doesn't work when you need it most. How 239 00:15:20,200 --> 00:15:23,720 Speaker 1: could that be the standard fire hydrant system that we've 240 00:15:23,720 --> 00:15:26,800 Speaker 1: been living with all this time? How does that happen? 241 00:15:28,280 --> 00:15:35,840 Speaker 1: Nobody ever designed a better system to supply enough water 242 00:15:35,920 --> 00:15:40,640 Speaker 1: for a major fire. Nobody ever thought of it, Nobody 243 00:15:40,760 --> 00:15:44,120 Speaker 1: drew it up, nobody voted to pay for it. Don't 244 00:15:44,160 --> 00:15:52,360 Speaker 1: I don't understand this. Well, then where would one hundred 245 00:15:52,360 --> 00:15:55,760 Speaker 1: and seventeen million gallons go, right, It would come out 246 00:15:55,800 --> 00:16:00,960 Speaker 1: of the reservoir, it would go through the system. They 247 00:16:01,000 --> 00:16:06,640 Speaker 1: had three million gallons available, three separate tanks that were full, 248 00:16:06,680 --> 00:16:13,080 Speaker 1: and they used that. And even if much of the 249 00:16:13,120 --> 00:16:15,720 Speaker 1: town would have burned anyway, they would have said somebody 250 00:16:16,720 --> 00:16:20,280 Speaker 1: that one hundred and seventeen million gallons would have saved somebody, 251 00:16:20,600 --> 00:16:30,000 Speaker 1: a lot of somebody's I'm just the reservoir was there, 252 00:16:30,680 --> 00:16:33,440 Speaker 1: it was built nineteen sixty four specifically for a fire. 253 00:16:33,640 --> 00:16:35,840 Speaker 1: So you're telling me that it built a reservoir, but 254 00:16:35,920 --> 00:16:38,280 Speaker 1: it didn't matter if it was filled or not. And 255 00:16:38,360 --> 00:16:42,080 Speaker 1: it didn't matter if we had ten reservoirs or twenty reservoirs. 256 00:16:42,360 --> 00:16:44,640 Speaker 1: It didn't matter. All the fire hydrants would have run 257 00:16:44,720 --> 00:16:52,720 Speaker 1: dry anyway. None of that makes sense to me. And 258 00:16:53,000 --> 00:16:54,600 Speaker 1: if it did make sense, then why didn't you get 259 00:16:54,640 --> 00:16:58,160 Speaker 1: a different system. And of course, if they had just 260 00:16:58,200 --> 00:17:02,400 Speaker 1: set the fire crew and kept it there from the 261 00:17:02,480 --> 00:17:05,240 Speaker 1: January first fire, they would have put out three kindling 262 00:17:05,320 --> 00:17:08,800 Speaker 1: right away, and it really wouldn't matter how many, if 263 00:17:08,800 --> 00:17:10,760 Speaker 1: the hydrants worked, or if the reservoir was full, it 264 00:17:10,760 --> 00:17:12,520 Speaker 1: wouldn't matter. They would have put out the fire right 265 00:17:12,600 --> 00:17:20,040 Speaker 1: up there immediately. All right, more coming up. 266 00:17:21,160 --> 00:17:25,520 Speaker 3: You're listening to John Cobelt on demand from KFI AM 267 00:17:25,520 --> 00:17:26,080 Speaker 3: six forty. 268 00:17:26,800 --> 00:17:28,960 Speaker 1: We're on every day from one until four o'clock. After 269 00:17:29,000 --> 00:17:33,119 Speaker 1: four o'clock John Cobelt's Show on demand on the Heart app, 270 00:17:33,359 --> 00:17:37,840 Speaker 1: and you could follow us on social media at John 271 00:17:37,880 --> 00:17:41,119 Speaker 1: Cobelt Radio, at John Cobelt Radio on all the social 272 00:17:41,160 --> 00:17:45,119 Speaker 1: media platforms. We're going to talk now with Roger Bailey. 273 00:17:45,240 --> 00:17:48,000 Speaker 1: Roger Bailey is one of the a team of attorneys 274 00:17:48,520 --> 00:17:52,720 Speaker 1: representing thousands of Palisades residents who got burned out in 275 00:17:52,760 --> 00:17:59,840 Speaker 1: the fire, and they're starting to do depositions state Park Reps. 276 00:18:00,840 --> 00:18:07,880 Speaker 1: They have texts between State Parks personnel which indicates that 277 00:18:08,640 --> 00:18:11,520 Speaker 1: the original fire on January first, and then the Palis 278 00:18:11,520 --> 00:18:14,159 Speaker 1: Saint's fire on the seventh both were in what is 279 00:18:14,240 --> 00:18:20,600 Speaker 1: called well. The January first fire created a fire perimeter, 280 00:18:21,840 --> 00:18:25,560 Speaker 1: and in that fire perimeter was an avoidance area where 281 00:18:25,600 --> 00:18:30,080 Speaker 1: they did not want the plant life disrupted. So when 282 00:18:30,080 --> 00:18:33,520 Speaker 1: the LA Fire Department went in with bulldozers to build 283 00:18:33,600 --> 00:18:37,000 Speaker 1: some kind of fire line for the first fire, that's 284 00:18:37,000 --> 00:18:39,280 Speaker 1: when they got chased out by the State Park Reps. 285 00:18:40,080 --> 00:18:42,280 Speaker 1: And so the second fire started in the middle of 286 00:18:42,320 --> 00:18:45,919 Speaker 1: the avoidance area. And this is actually in the text. 287 00:18:46,480 --> 00:18:48,919 Speaker 1: Let's get Roger Bailey on Roger, how are you? 288 00:18:50,000 --> 00:18:51,320 Speaker 4: I'm doing well, John, how are you? 289 00:18:53,400 --> 00:18:56,280 Speaker 1: Every time you come on, I want to say, I 290 00:18:56,359 --> 00:19:00,480 Speaker 1: just don't believe this, but tell us you're you're now 291 00:19:00,720 --> 00:19:06,320 Speaker 1: doing depositions. Are these texts part of the document drop 292 00:19:06,359 --> 00:19:07,240 Speaker 1: for the depositions? 293 00:19:08,480 --> 00:19:11,240 Speaker 4: Yeah, actually I'm I'm actually on the way back from 294 00:19:11,240 --> 00:19:13,960 Speaker 4: a deposition right now. We've got several of them scheduled 295 00:19:13,960 --> 00:19:17,120 Speaker 4: over the next several days. And the documents that we're 296 00:19:17,200 --> 00:19:20,600 Speaker 4: getting for the depositions include the text messages that you 297 00:19:20,760 --> 00:19:26,720 Speaker 4: see and the area avoidance map that I've sent over. 298 00:19:26,840 --> 00:19:29,480 Speaker 4: You may remember last time I was on the state 299 00:19:29,560 --> 00:19:32,040 Speaker 4: didn't give us those maps. Right, we knew where the 300 00:19:32,080 --> 00:19:35,679 Speaker 4: Palisades fire started, and we said, I wonder if the 301 00:19:35,720 --> 00:19:38,000 Speaker 4: reason they didn't give us those maps is because the 302 00:19:38,040 --> 00:19:41,760 Speaker 4: Palisades fire started in one of these areas that's off 303 00:19:41,840 --> 00:19:44,840 Speaker 4: limits to firefighters. And lo and behold when we got 304 00:19:44,840 --> 00:19:47,400 Speaker 4: the map showing where the firefighters were not allowed to go, 305 00:19:48,680 --> 00:19:50,479 Speaker 4: that's right where the Palisades fire started. 306 00:19:51,400 --> 00:19:56,280 Speaker 1: Ray Lopez, my producer, just handed me a couple of 307 00:19:56,320 --> 00:19:58,720 Speaker 1: the text Can I read them to the audience because 308 00:19:58,760 --> 00:20:01,000 Speaker 1: I have not read these outline. I just got there 309 00:20:01,280 --> 00:20:05,880 Speaker 1: and this is the night of the first fire, January first, two, 310 00:20:05,920 --> 00:20:10,639 Speaker 1: three am. And it says, Hi, Christy are you at 311 00:20:10,680 --> 00:20:14,200 Speaker 1: the fire? And CHRISTI wrights back. I will be. I'm 312 00:20:14,200 --> 00:20:21,400 Speaker 1: getting ready now. There is Federal endangered s astragalus along 313 00:20:21,560 --> 00:20:25,439 Speaker 1: Timesco fire Road. Would be nice to avoid cutting it 314 00:20:25,480 --> 00:20:28,919 Speaker 1: if possible. Do you have avoidance maps? I have a 315 00:20:28,960 --> 00:20:32,480 Speaker 1: couple of RIA ds on standby. I'll wait to deploy 316 00:20:32,520 --> 00:20:36,480 Speaker 1: them until you get unseen and assess the situation. Definitely 317 00:20:36,560 --> 00:20:40,200 Speaker 1: want to send them down if heavy equipment arrives. And 318 00:20:40,280 --> 00:20:44,919 Speaker 1: Christie rights back, well, yeah, Christi writes back, Okay, I'll 319 00:20:45,000 --> 00:20:49,520 Speaker 1: let you know. So I guess she was the state 320 00:20:49,960 --> 00:20:55,080 Speaker 1: Fire State Parks representative that we know started getting in 321 00:20:55,080 --> 00:20:58,159 Speaker 1: the way of the LA Fire Department and she was 322 00:20:58,240 --> 00:21:01,040 Speaker 1: being told to look at the avoidance because you've got 323 00:21:01,040 --> 00:21:04,359 Speaker 1: this astrogallus plant that has to be protected. 324 00:21:06,520 --> 00:21:12,800 Speaker 4: That's right. That plant is also known as the milk vetch. Yes, 325 00:21:12,920 --> 00:21:15,840 Speaker 4: the milk vetch, so that maybe the name you know 326 00:21:16,000 --> 00:21:19,400 Speaker 4: more than the astrogallaus, but it's the milk. 327 00:21:19,280 --> 00:21:22,320 Speaker 1: Vetch, that's yeah. That was identified by in the LA 328 00:21:22,400 --> 00:21:26,840 Speaker 1: time stories early on, the milk bitch. Yes, that's right, 329 00:21:27,000 --> 00:21:28,240 Speaker 1: got it, This is all true. 330 00:21:29,800 --> 00:21:35,119 Speaker 4: Yes. So so these avoidance areas are designated by the 331 00:21:35,240 --> 00:21:41,680 Speaker 4: state park to protect, among other things, plant species, and 332 00:21:41,880 --> 00:21:46,760 Speaker 4: they make these maps available to the firefighters, and they 333 00:21:46,800 --> 00:21:50,560 Speaker 4: also have these RAA ds are called resource advisors, and 334 00:21:50,600 --> 00:21:54,120 Speaker 4: they go up there and they interact with the firefighters 335 00:21:54,160 --> 00:21:56,000 Speaker 4: to say, well, here here's the map, here's where you 336 00:21:56,040 --> 00:21:59,960 Speaker 4: can't go. Can't use have the equipment over here their own, 337 00:22:00,320 --> 00:22:04,639 Speaker 4: their own operations. Manual says that, so everything that we 338 00:22:04,800 --> 00:22:09,080 Speaker 4: had been hearing is now being confirmed with these documents. 339 00:22:10,280 --> 00:22:13,800 Speaker 1: So the fire department couldn't use the bulldozers to create 340 00:22:13,800 --> 00:22:14,760 Speaker 1: a fire break. 341 00:22:16,280 --> 00:22:20,480 Speaker 4: Right there. The state's policy. Now, remember, once this was 342 00:22:20,560 --> 00:22:23,560 Speaker 4: determined to be the Lockman fire, the January one fire. 343 00:22:23,600 --> 00:22:26,480 Speaker 4: Once that was determined to be burning on state land, 344 00:22:26,920 --> 00:22:31,680 Speaker 4: the la FD calls for a state park repticum. And 345 00:22:31,720 --> 00:22:34,480 Speaker 4: that's where you see you know, Christy sayings he's on 346 00:22:36,840 --> 00:22:40,560 Speaker 4: And when they get there, their their job is to 347 00:22:40,640 --> 00:22:43,560 Speaker 4: interact with the firefighters. And then these raa ds come 348 00:22:43,600 --> 00:22:49,160 Speaker 4: in and make sure that these protected plants aren't disturbed 349 00:22:49,800 --> 00:22:52,200 Speaker 4: as a result of a firefight or the mop up. 350 00:22:53,640 --> 00:22:57,000 Speaker 4: And so you know you've got And by the way, 351 00:22:58,080 --> 00:23:01,600 Speaker 4: the state park reps are also saw smoldering it the 352 00:23:01,680 --> 00:23:05,520 Speaker 4: smoke coming from the hills and said, oh okay, well 353 00:23:05,520 --> 00:23:07,280 Speaker 4: the smoke coming from the hills, should we do anything 354 00:23:07,280 --> 00:23:09,280 Speaker 4: about it? They didn't do anything about It's their land. 355 00:23:10,520 --> 00:23:13,919 Speaker 4: That's after the fire is declared contains, smoke's coming out 356 00:23:13,960 --> 00:23:16,800 Speaker 4: of the ground, and nobody closes the park. Nobody's up 357 00:23:16,840 --> 00:23:17,960 Speaker 4: there to see how bad it is. 358 00:23:18,119 --> 00:23:22,639 Speaker 1: Oh, it just can't be. And this is in the 359 00:23:22,680 --> 00:23:25,800 Speaker 1: middle of the National Weather Service issuing all these extreme 360 00:23:25,880 --> 00:23:27,840 Speaker 1: fire warnings and extreme wind warnings. 361 00:23:30,000 --> 00:23:30,480 Speaker 2: That's right. 362 00:23:30,640 --> 00:23:35,240 Speaker 4: We were told days before the Palisades fire that these 363 00:23:35,400 --> 00:23:38,680 Speaker 4: heavy winds were coming. And if you've got smoke coming 364 00:23:38,680 --> 00:23:41,840 Speaker 4: out of the ground in a recent burn scar, that 365 00:23:41,880 --> 00:23:44,040 Speaker 4: would be your first clue that there may be a 366 00:23:44,160 --> 00:23:46,840 Speaker 4: risk of rekindling, So you'd want to be up there 367 00:23:47,359 --> 00:23:50,639 Speaker 4: making sure that didn't happen, or having crews on standby 368 00:23:50,760 --> 00:23:53,199 Speaker 4: right there in case it happened. Well, we know it 369 00:23:53,240 --> 00:23:58,320 Speaker 4: did happen. Atf confirmed the Palisades fire was a rekindling 370 00:23:58,760 --> 00:24:01,639 Speaker 4: of embers smoldering the ground after the Lockman fire, So 371 00:24:01,680 --> 00:24:04,159 Speaker 4: we know it happened. And now we know that the 372 00:24:04,240 --> 00:24:07,919 Speaker 4: state had areas that it wouldn't allow the firefighters to 373 00:24:07,920 --> 00:24:11,399 Speaker 4: go with their heavy equipment to protect this milk vetch plant. 374 00:24:11,760 --> 00:24:16,240 Speaker 4: And that's exactly where the Palistaates fire starts. 375 00:24:16,840 --> 00:24:19,800 Speaker 1: What because I've talked with a number of people about 376 00:24:19,800 --> 00:24:23,560 Speaker 1: this and they always say, well, why was the milk 377 00:24:23,640 --> 00:24:28,080 Speaker 1: vetch plant so important? What do you know why they 378 00:24:28,119 --> 00:24:31,520 Speaker 1: were so bent on protecting this no matter how dangerous 379 00:24:31,560 --> 00:24:32,320 Speaker 1: the conditions were. 380 00:24:34,160 --> 00:24:37,119 Speaker 4: I didn't know what a milk vetch was until this case, 381 00:24:37,240 --> 00:24:40,000 Speaker 4: but I've looked into it and it's a It's an 382 00:24:40,119 --> 00:24:44,520 Speaker 4: endangered plant species, but from what I can tell, interestingly, 383 00:24:44,880 --> 00:24:54,520 Speaker 4: it proliferates after wildfires. God, so yeah, I don't know. Look, 384 00:24:55,160 --> 00:24:58,240 Speaker 4: I'll say, I'm all for, you know, let's protect the environment, 385 00:24:58,240 --> 00:25:00,640 Speaker 4: but you kind of balance in the public safety. You've 386 00:25:00,640 --> 00:25:04,600 Speaker 4: got houses right next to this burn scar. I mean, 387 00:25:04,640 --> 00:25:08,480 Speaker 4: there's neighborhoods, hundreds and thousands of people, and why you 388 00:25:08,480 --> 00:25:12,000 Speaker 4: wouldn't consider their safety over the milk fetch plant is 389 00:25:12,040 --> 00:25:12,480 Speaker 4: beyond me. 390 00:25:13,160 --> 00:25:16,040 Speaker 1: Is it reasonable for people to think that if the 391 00:25:16,080 --> 00:25:18,679 Speaker 1: only fire department was allowed to do its mop up 392 00:25:19,680 --> 00:25:23,199 Speaker 1: and treat that hot spot and do the bulldozing and 393 00:25:23,400 --> 00:25:32,760 Speaker 1: any other treatment treatment protocol that they have, that then 394 00:25:32,920 --> 00:25:34,960 Speaker 1: the pal States would not have burned the way it burned. 395 00:25:36,760 --> 00:25:39,320 Speaker 4: Well, that's one part of it. But here's the second part. 396 00:25:39,640 --> 00:25:42,399 Speaker 4: And I know we talked about this last time. The 397 00:25:42,520 --> 00:25:47,240 Speaker 4: state's own operations manual says, and I quote, where areas 398 00:25:47,280 --> 00:25:51,800 Speaker 4: of a park unit have burned, those areas shall remain 399 00:25:52,040 --> 00:25:57,520 Speaker 4: closed until appropriate State department staff have inspected the area 400 00:25:57,840 --> 00:26:01,679 Speaker 4: and rectified any public safety issues. So even after the 401 00:26:01,800 --> 00:26:03,919 Speaker 4: laf they leaves, assuming they had been able to do 402 00:26:04,000 --> 00:26:07,320 Speaker 4: everything they wanted to do. The state's owned Policy and 403 00:26:07,520 --> 00:26:10,879 Speaker 4: Operations manual says you need to be up there, close 404 00:26:10,960 --> 00:26:13,359 Speaker 4: the park and when you got smoke coming out of 405 00:26:13,359 --> 00:26:16,439 Speaker 4: the hills that your reps can see, you should be 406 00:26:16,560 --> 00:26:19,520 Speaker 4: up there and rectifying the public safety issues. So had 407 00:26:19,760 --> 00:26:24,359 Speaker 4: followed their own operations manual, palistaates fire wouldn't have happened. 408 00:26:26,000 --> 00:26:29,040 Speaker 1: Wow. Oh, that's just so crazy. 409 00:26:29,560 --> 00:26:32,320 Speaker 4: It's stunning, And I mean it's stunning every day. When 410 00:26:32,359 --> 00:26:35,399 Speaker 4: you can't you think it can't get more bizarre, it 411 00:26:35,440 --> 00:26:36,480 Speaker 4: gets more bizarre. 412 00:26:37,080 --> 00:26:39,360 Speaker 1: And you're only at the beginning of these depositions, right. 413 00:26:40,080 --> 00:26:43,160 Speaker 4: The first one was today, and we've got sixteen more 414 00:26:43,240 --> 00:26:46,320 Speaker 4: lined up, you know, up through Christmas. 415 00:26:46,760 --> 00:26:49,800 Speaker 1: Can you hang on for a moment, you bet, all right? 416 00:26:49,920 --> 00:26:52,800 Speaker 1: Roger Bailey, he's the one of the attorneys for the 417 00:26:52,880 --> 00:26:57,680 Speaker 1: thousands of Palisades homeowners who got burned out in the fire. 418 00:26:57,760 --> 00:27:00,480 Speaker 1: And yeah, you're hearing this right in In order to 419 00:27:00,480 --> 00:27:05,000 Speaker 1: save the milkvetch plant, the State Parks Department said representatives 420 00:27:05,920 --> 00:27:08,960 Speaker 1: the night of the first fire, it was still burning. 421 00:27:09,680 --> 00:27:13,879 Speaker 1: To make sure that the milkvetch plant, which is endangered, 422 00:27:14,400 --> 00:27:17,520 Speaker 1: wasn't destroyed, and that's why the LA Fire Department was 423 00:27:17,560 --> 00:27:20,000 Speaker 1: prevented from doing the clean up the next day. The 424 00:27:20,040 --> 00:27:23,399 Speaker 1: mop up and bulldoze to create a fire break and 425 00:27:23,560 --> 00:27:26,160 Speaker 1: to try to tamp down the smoldering and the smoking 426 00:27:26,240 --> 00:27:28,240 Speaker 1: and the hot rocks and the hot tree stumps and 427 00:27:28,280 --> 00:27:31,240 Speaker 1: the whole bit. And the state was supposed to close 428 00:27:31,280 --> 00:27:35,200 Speaker 1: that park area and if they saw any action coming 429 00:27:35,200 --> 00:27:37,040 Speaker 1: from this fire, they were supposed to take care of 430 00:27:37,040 --> 00:27:43,360 Speaker 1: it too with CalFire. And then this doesn't happen. Oh 431 00:27:43,400 --> 00:27:45,960 Speaker 1: my god, this is so bad. This is so bad. Okay, 432 00:27:46,000 --> 00:27:48,040 Speaker 1: we've got more coming up on the John Cobelt Show. 433 00:27:48,920 --> 00:27:53,240 Speaker 3: You're listening to John Cobelt on demand from KFI AM 434 00:27:53,280 --> 00:27:53,840 Speaker 3: six forty. 435 00:27:54,600 --> 00:27:57,439 Speaker 1: We're on every day from one until four o'clock and 436 00:27:57,480 --> 00:27:59,919 Speaker 1: then after four o'clock John Cobelt's Show on demand right 437 00:28:00,160 --> 00:28:03,600 Speaker 1: now more with Roger Bailey, the attorney, along with others 438 00:28:03,800 --> 00:28:08,399 Speaker 1: representing thousands of Palisades residents. And the big bombshell today 439 00:28:08,640 --> 00:28:14,040 Speaker 1: is they're starting depositions of California State Parks employees. There 440 00:28:14,040 --> 00:28:16,960 Speaker 1: are texts they've gotten a hold of and the night 441 00:28:17,000 --> 00:28:20,000 Speaker 1: of the first fly fire on January first, they were 442 00:28:20,000 --> 00:28:22,840 Speaker 1: already sending down a State Parks rep to make sure 443 00:28:22,840 --> 00:28:26,160 Speaker 1: that the milk vetch plant wasn't destroyed by LA Fire 444 00:28:26,160 --> 00:28:28,840 Speaker 1: Department or anybody else. And that's why they didn't do 445 00:28:28,880 --> 00:28:31,199 Speaker 1: a fire break. That's why they didn't tamp down the 446 00:28:31,200 --> 00:28:34,600 Speaker 1: hot spot with the smoldering and the hot rocks, and 447 00:28:34,640 --> 00:28:39,880 Speaker 1: that's where the fire then reignited, rekindled and became the 448 00:28:39,920 --> 00:28:45,479 Speaker 1: Palisades fire Roger. What else are you looking for as 449 00:28:45,520 --> 00:28:48,560 Speaker 1: you go through these depositions? I think you've got the 450 00:28:48,560 --> 00:28:52,480 Speaker 1: milk vetch story here, or at least you know enough 451 00:28:53,040 --> 00:28:55,280 Speaker 1: to lead, because I know as you get more testimony 452 00:28:55,320 --> 00:28:57,800 Speaker 1: you're going to go down other roads. What's one of 453 00:28:57,840 --> 00:29:00,320 Speaker 1: your targets here? What do you want to know on 454 00:29:00,400 --> 00:29:02,200 Speaker 1: behalf of your clients? 455 00:29:02,520 --> 00:29:06,720 Speaker 4: Well, as I said before the break, the State's Owned 456 00:29:06,720 --> 00:29:12,320 Speaker 4: Operations Manual has a section that requires It's not optional, 457 00:29:12,360 --> 00:29:16,440 Speaker 4: it requires closure of any area of the state park 458 00:29:16,720 --> 00:29:22,640 Speaker 4: that has burned, and it's to remain closed until state 459 00:29:22,720 --> 00:29:28,360 Speaker 4: park representatives have been up and inspected the property to 460 00:29:28,400 --> 00:29:31,480 Speaker 4: the issues. And what we haven't heard yet from any 461 00:29:31,720 --> 00:29:35,760 Speaker 4: state park representative is why was the park not closed. 462 00:29:35,800 --> 00:29:39,680 Speaker 4: They've confirmed it wasn't closed because you clearly had the 463 00:29:39,760 --> 00:29:43,480 Speaker 4: Lockman fire that burned to Panka State Park State park land. 464 00:29:44,080 --> 00:29:47,560 Speaker 4: Why was the park not closed? Number one? Number two? 465 00:29:48,440 --> 00:29:52,880 Speaker 4: Why did the state not send its own inspectors up 466 00:29:52,920 --> 00:29:57,920 Speaker 4: there to check for the hotspots that were reported and 467 00:29:58,400 --> 00:30:01,080 Speaker 4: were videotaped by members of public And members of the 468 00:30:01,080 --> 00:30:04,800 Speaker 4: public were walking through this area days after the Lackman fire, 469 00:30:05,600 --> 00:30:10,000 Speaker 4: videoing smoldering embers and smoke coming out of the ground, 470 00:30:10,240 --> 00:30:14,400 Speaker 4: so we know there's something not right. So why we 471 00:30:14,440 --> 00:30:17,400 Speaker 4: want to know did the state not get up there 472 00:30:17,600 --> 00:30:21,720 Speaker 4: close the park as its own manual requires and then 473 00:30:21,800 --> 00:30:26,080 Speaker 4: dispatch inspectors, their own inspectors that go up and make 474 00:30:26,120 --> 00:30:29,040 Speaker 4: sure we didn't have the risk of a rekindling. We 475 00:30:29,120 --> 00:30:31,280 Speaker 4: know we had a rick kindling and it could have 476 00:30:31,320 --> 00:30:34,160 Speaker 4: been prevented. They followed their own manual, right, and. 477 00:30:34,080 --> 00:30:39,280 Speaker 1: Then send in firefighters state firefighters to take care of 478 00:30:39,320 --> 00:30:40,080 Speaker 1: the hotspots. 479 00:30:41,520 --> 00:30:44,600 Speaker 4: Yeah, well right, send anybody in, but first you, as 480 00:30:44,640 --> 00:30:48,400 Speaker 4: the landowner, state, you should go up there and check 481 00:30:48,440 --> 00:30:51,080 Speaker 4: your land and make sure that risk isn't there and 482 00:30:51,200 --> 00:30:53,560 Speaker 4: if you find it, because it was there. If you 483 00:30:53,560 --> 00:30:56,880 Speaker 4: were there, you would have seen it. Send somebody, send 484 00:30:56,880 --> 00:30:59,760 Speaker 4: cow fires, send LAFD back, whatever, but get up there 485 00:30:59,800 --> 00:31:03,000 Speaker 4: and something. But there was nobody up there for days 486 00:31:03,040 --> 00:31:04,800 Speaker 4: before the Palisades fire reignited. 487 00:31:05,200 --> 00:31:09,320 Speaker 1: Is this incompetence, laziness? I mean, I can't imagine a 488 00:31:09,320 --> 00:31:13,160 Speaker 1: good reason for not doing what's a mandatory in their manual. 489 00:31:14,960 --> 00:31:18,640 Speaker 4: Yeah, we're asking the same questions, and as yet there's 490 00:31:18,680 --> 00:31:22,320 Speaker 4: been no answer. The answer we were given by the 491 00:31:22,360 --> 00:31:28,440 Speaker 4: state initially was well, LAFD declared the Lockman fire fully contained. Okay, great. 492 00:31:28,880 --> 00:31:32,640 Speaker 4: What about your manual that says after the fire has burned, 493 00:31:32,880 --> 00:31:34,960 Speaker 4: you close the park and get up there and inspect it. 494 00:31:35,440 --> 00:31:38,760 Speaker 4: No answer to that question, And I'm eager to hear it, 495 00:31:38,840 --> 00:31:42,960 Speaker 4: because I think had they followed their own manual and 496 00:31:43,320 --> 00:31:47,520 Speaker 4: eliminated this dangerous condition, the smoldering embers, there would be 497 00:31:47,560 --> 00:31:50,080 Speaker 4: no Palisades fire. You wouldn't have had twelve people die 498 00:31:50,400 --> 00:31:52,240 Speaker 4: and seven thousand structures burned down. 499 00:31:52,640 --> 00:31:55,480 Speaker 1: And who makes that decision to close the park and 500 00:31:55,560 --> 00:32:00,000 Speaker 1: then send the inspectors in? Is that come from go ahead? 501 00:32:01,000 --> 00:32:03,960 Speaker 4: It comes from somebody within the state, and from what 502 00:32:04,000 --> 00:32:06,880 Speaker 4: we know as of today, it's somebody up in the 503 00:32:06,960 --> 00:32:12,360 Speaker 4: management above the rangers but their manual, and the rangers 504 00:32:12,360 --> 00:32:15,240 Speaker 4: are all familiar with the operations manual, and they're aware 505 00:32:15,480 --> 00:32:18,200 Speaker 4: that when and they said, yeah, we know that when 506 00:32:18,280 --> 00:32:21,040 Speaker 4: you have a fire, you close the park. But why 507 00:32:21,160 --> 00:32:25,000 Speaker 4: this particular fire didn't prompt them to close the park 508 00:32:26,000 --> 00:32:28,840 Speaker 4: and go up there and inspect is anybody's guests? We 509 00:32:29,200 --> 00:32:31,360 Speaker 4: have no idea, but that's one of the you want 510 00:32:34,120 --> 00:32:37,840 Speaker 4: Roger there there and checked for dangerous conditions on its land. 511 00:32:38,400 --> 00:32:42,320 Speaker 1: Yeah, and newsome As first denied that the state had 512 00:32:42,360 --> 00:32:44,480 Speaker 1: any knowledge that this fire was going on the night 513 00:32:44,480 --> 00:32:45,320 Speaker 1: of January first. 514 00:32:47,200 --> 00:32:50,480 Speaker 4: Yeah, that's you know, he gave an interview back in 515 00:32:50,520 --> 00:32:54,040 Speaker 4: the springtime where he first said that the Palisades fire 516 00:32:54,480 --> 00:32:57,320 Speaker 4: ignited on federal land. Well, we know that's not true 517 00:32:58,560 --> 00:33:02,320 Speaker 4: because the audio record we obtained of those nine to 518 00:33:02,320 --> 00:33:05,560 Speaker 4: one one calls and then the radio communications between CalFire, 519 00:33:05,600 --> 00:33:09,320 Speaker 4: I mean, the State Park Dispatch and LAFT confirming this 520 00:33:09,680 --> 00:33:14,600 Speaker 4: fire Lackman's burning on state park property. So no federal 521 00:33:14,640 --> 00:33:18,160 Speaker 4: property involvement. And yes, we now know that the state 522 00:33:18,320 --> 00:33:23,240 Speaker 4: was notified twenty seven minutes after midnight on January one, 523 00:33:23,320 --> 00:33:26,240 Speaker 4: right after midnight New Year's Eve, the state got a call. 524 00:33:26,440 --> 00:33:29,320 Speaker 4: There's a fire burning on your land, so they knew 525 00:33:29,320 --> 00:33:34,000 Speaker 4: about it. They dispatched several park rangers. At least one 526 00:33:34,040 --> 00:33:36,680 Speaker 4: of those rangers and potentially others. When we depose them 527 00:33:36,680 --> 00:33:38,840 Speaker 4: in the next few days, we'll say we saw smoke 528 00:33:38,920 --> 00:33:40,680 Speaker 4: coming out of the ground. That's what we heard today. 529 00:33:41,120 --> 00:33:43,240 Speaker 4: State park ranger was up there and saw smoke coming 530 00:33:43,280 --> 00:33:45,680 Speaker 4: out of the ground after the fire department had left. 531 00:33:46,600 --> 00:33:49,080 Speaker 1: Roger, thank you for coming on with us, and as 532 00:33:49,320 --> 00:33:52,080 Speaker 1: you have information that you can give us, please come 533 00:33:52,120 --> 00:33:55,480 Speaker 1: back on and we'll keep we'll keep adding to the story. 534 00:33:56,680 --> 00:33:58,480 Speaker 4: Absolutely happy to do it all right. 535 00:33:58,440 --> 00:34:01,000 Speaker 1: Roger Bailey, one of the attorneys re presenting the thousands 536 00:34:01,040 --> 00:34:05,160 Speaker 1: of Palisade residents. I cannot imagine the pain and anger 537 00:34:05,240 --> 00:34:08,640 Speaker 1: and frustration that these people are feeling. Hey, you've been 538 00:34:08,680 --> 00:34:11,400 Speaker 1: listening to the John Cobalt Show podcast. You can always 539 00:34:11,400 --> 00:34:14,080 Speaker 1: hear the show live on KFI AM six forty from 540 00:34:14,080 --> 00:34:16,560 Speaker 1: one to four pm every Monday through Friday, and of 541 00:34:16,560 --> 00:34:19,560 Speaker 1: course anytime on demand on the iHeartRadio app.