Heroic first responders

Thank you for the heroic efforts of our brave first responders battling the terrible fires this past week. We are truly blessed to have such dedicated — literally tireless! — public servants. Bravo!

While it is too soon to learn the result of investigations into how the Eaton fire started, it is sad but not unexpected to learn that the Kenneth fire was deliberate, though good to learn a suspect was detained.

This begs the question about whether the current penalties for deliberate fire starts — arson — are adequate. In my view, nothing short of capital punishment or life in prison may be too lenient for those who deliberately start wildfires. Similar questions need to be asked about penalties for looting. I hope our legislators can take a close look at these matters. Or perhaps we citizens need to consider a ballot measure?

— P.A. Brown, Pasadena

Stop the shenanigans

This week’s wildfires highlight the incompetence of leadership and mismanagement in the California government. Kudos to the Opinion staff for getting this right. Newsom has not focused on the citizens of California. He has spent billions of dollars on the stupid and unnecessary bullet train. He needs to place his ego on the back burner and put the lives of the residents ahead of his ambitions.

Resources are needed for fire departments and police departments to protect citizens of California. The same goes for the mayor of Los Angeles, Karen Bass.

Stop the shenanigans and protect us. Get out and let competent leadership take over. We have confirmed that who we have does not work.

— Ellie S. MacMullin, Pasadena

SoCal fires

These fires and loss of life and property are stark evidence of what happens when the Legislature cares more about the environment than the people living in the environment. Past time to eliminate water restrictions and repair the water supply.

— Hayden Lening, Claremont

No water for firefighters

There is plenty of water at the major reservoirs in Southern California that local water districts draw from to fill their tanks and local reservoirs. Local water districts can’t pump the water into their tanks when the wind speed goes over 40 miles per hour because of government electric power restrictions because of possible fire hazard. The districts were outlawed a few years back from having backup diesel generators due to Gov. Newsom’s environmental policies.

— Larry Hardesty, Cypress

Wildfires and who’s in charge

Isn’t it strange that Mayor Bass was in Ghana celebrating an official’s victory while our city is on fire. We pay her to lead the city with taxpayer money not to go to a country to party. What’s next? More excuses for not doing the job she was elected to do but she never hesitates to ask for more money. Unbelievable

— Jon Reitz, San Pedro

Palisades vs. Malibu fire

There are lessons to be learned seeing the differences between the Pacific Palisades fire versus the Malibu fire about a month ago. Professional firefighters can’t be everywhere all at once. That’s what we are learning once again tragically in Pacific Palisades. After countless fires in Malibu, local residents banded together to form volunteer fire brigades. TV crews even talked to some of the volunteers after they had successfully saved their neighborhoods. Again, firefighters can’t be everywhere at once. Too many small brushfires end up burning thousands of acres and destroying homes. Maybe we can learn from the Malibu fire and train volunteer brigades that can defend their neighborhoods when the professionals can’t be there. What we are currently doing is not working.

— Stephen Waddell, Palos Verdes Estates

Fire and flood control

The tragic fires in Southern California makes one wonder how much brush clearing and controlled burns to reduce fire risk were quashed for environmental concerns, and whether we will see something similar in Santiago Canyon where long delayed flood control projects are again deferred out of concern that construction might damage some trees. In both cases, rest assured that any loss of life and property will be blamed on climate change.

— Russ Neal, Huntington Beach