In the last few days, Los Angeles has experienced what may become the most expensive and destructive wildfire catastrophe in U.S. history. Entire communities in Pacific Palisades, Malibu, Pasadena, and Altadena have been decimated, with at least ten lives lost and thousands of structures reduced to rubble. I personally had to evacuate from my Santa Monica home with my two young children, watching in shock as the flames visibly approached, while smoke choked our neighborhood. It is a tragedy for which local and state leaders cannot hide behind excuses—this was tragically predictable and preventable.
For years, California’s top officials have known that conditions were ripe for a catastrophic wildfire. We had unprecedented rainfall feeding dense brush, followed by a drought that effectively turned that vegetation into tinder. Yet instead of taking meaningful precautions—such as conducting brush-clearance, bolstering firefighting resources, or ensuring reliable water systems — Governor Gavin Newsom, Mayor Karen Bass, and the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors allowed politics, vanity projects, and out-of-state trips to distract them from their most sacred obligation: keeping Californians safe.
It is bitterly ironic that days before the fires, Governor Newsom held a press conference trumpeting the still-incomplete, multi–billion dollar high-speed rail project. Meanwhile, water reservoirs in Pacific Palisades were drained for repairs, leaving hydrants dry when we needed them most. When asked about his plan to address firefighting resources, the governor deflected, saying “local folks are gonna figure it out.” True leadership means stepping up in a crisis, not passing the buck.
Mayor Bass, for her part, was overseas in Ghana until the fires were already raging—and previously slashed millions from the Los Angeles Fire Department’s budget. Even now, she refuses to take responsibility for how these budget cuts may have handicapped our firefighting crews at the worst possible moment. Firefighters on the ground, already short-staffed due to controversial vaccine mandates that drove many veteran fire personnel to other departments, scrambled valiantly but lacked the manpower and air support that should have been pre-positioned as soon as weather forecasts predicted punishing winds.
Equally troubling is the broader insurance calamity now colliding head-on with this disaster. California has long forbidden insurers from incorporating the real cost of wildfire risk into premiums or factoring in essential reinsurance costs, creating an unsustainable environment. Insurers are paying more in claims than they collect in premiums, prompting them to drop hundreds of thousands of policyholders—often in exactly these high-risk, fire-prone areas. That leaves many homeowners dependent on FAIR, the state’s undercapitalized insurer of last resort, whose exposure has ballooned to over $450 billion. One massive event could bankrupt FAIR entirely, leaving private insurers—and ultimately taxpayers—holding the bag.
Much of this can be traced back to Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara, who has suppressed insurers’ ability to price risk accurately and, in so doing, made coverage unavailable for many. After the devastation in Los Angeles, we are likely to see even more carriers flee the market. Californians who lose their homes may face not only personal ruin but also the added burden of inadequate or non-existent insurance protections. Commissioner Lara’s intransigence is as untenable as Governor Newsom’s complacency; both have put families directly in harm’s way.
Enough is enough. I’ve joined a new recall campaign, Saving California, which recently launched a formal effort to remove Newsom from office. Our intent is not to score political points, but to demand accountability from a governor who has allowed the state to deteriorate on nearly every front—housing costs, crime, crumbling infrastructure, and now a tragic failure to manage a foreseeable wildfire disaster. We also need to take a hard look at Commissioner Lara’s role in the insurance fiasco. If leadership cannot protect the well-being and financial security of its citizens, then it is time for that leadership to go.
I say this as a physician who took an oath to safeguard human lives and as a community activist horrified by the lack of empathy, action, and foresight we’ve witnessed at every level of California’s government. Yes, wildfires are part of our ecosystem, and yes, nature can be unforgiving—but leadership that fails to prepare for known dangers is not worthy of leading.
As the smoke clears and the long rebuilding process begins, our hope must be that these losses spark meaningful reform.
It starts with admitting mistakes, prioritizing public safety over pet projects, and ensuring that insurers can accurately price risk without making coverage unattainable. It continues with recalling complacent officials who look the other way when Californians’ lives and livelihoods are on the line. Our state deserves leaders who put people before politics and solutions before slogans. May these tragic fires be the final wake-up call.
Houman David Hemmati is a board-certified physician, medical researcher, and Los Angeles resident who has been active in disaster preparedness and public advocacy across California.