Despite her close relationship with LA's firefighters, Traci Park slashed their funding and failed to coordinate with them when it mattered most.

The recent Pacific Palisades fire that devastated the community, destroying thousands of homes and displacing countless families, was a preventable tragedy. At the center of the crisis is Councilmember Traci Park, whose reckless decisions to cut funding for the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) directly contributed to the fire’s catastrophic impact. What makes Park's failure even more glaring is her close relationship with the United Firefighters of Los Angeles City (UFLAC) union, a top contributor to her City Council campaign. Despite this strong alliance with the firefighters, Park not only failed to secure the necessary funding for the department but also neglected to ensure that fire engines were adequately staffed and prepared on the day the fires ignited.

In May 2024, Traci Park voted to slash $17.8 million from the LAFD budget, followed by an additional $48 million reduction for the following year. These devastating cuts forced the department to operate with fewer resources, leading to staffing shortages, outdated equipment, and fewer available fire engines at a time when the region was at its most vulnerable. The Palisades, surrounded by brush-heavy hills and prone to Santa Ana winds, has long been identified as a high-risk fire zone. By gutting the fire department’s budget, Park ensured that when the inevitable disaster struck, firefighters would be left scrambling to respond effectively.

Despite her history of advocating for firefighters and receiving substantial financial and political backing from the UFLAC union, Park’s actions demonstrate a complete disregard for the very people who supported her rise to power. The firefighters’ union played a crucial role in her election campaign, contributing significant funds and rallying support. Given this close relationship, Park should have been working hand-in-hand with the LAFD to ensure they were adequately prepared for potential wildfires. Instead, she turned her back on them when it mattered most, prioritizing budget cuts over community safety.

Park’s negligence didn’t just stop at slashing the budget. As a Councilmember with strong ties to the firefighting community, she should have been at the forefront of ensuring that LAFD was properly staffed and equipped to handle emergencies. In the days leading up to the fire, multiple red flag warnings were issued, yet no additional emergency preparedness measures were implemented. Firefighters were left without the necessary personnel and fire engines to combat the blaze effectively, allowing the flames to spread uncontrollably and cause unprecedented destruction.

When the fire finally erupted, Park was nowhere to be found. Instead of stepping up and addressing the crisis, she remained silent until it was too late. After the damage was done, she quickly shifted into public relations mode, attending press conferences and community events to feign concern. But the damage had already been done, and the community saw through the hypocrisy.

The people of Pacific Palisades and the greater Los Angeles area deserve leadership that prioritizes their safety over political maneuvering. Traci Park had every opportunity to prevent this disaster but instead chose to weaken the LAFD while maintaining close political ties with the firefighter’s union that backed her campaign. This blatant contradiction raises serious questions about her motivations and her ability to lead effectively.

It is time for the community to demand accountability. Park must answer for her decisions, and steps must be taken to ensure that the city council never again plays politics with public safety. The Pacific Palisades fire was not just a natural disaster—it was a political failure, and Traci Park is at the center of it.