Free Republic

Not quite six years ago, wildfire expert Jack Cohen, who lives in Missoula, Mont., visited Pacific Palisades to instruct firefighters and property owners on how to protect homes against wildfires. Three days of training, including a tour of the community, left Cohen hopeful, but the feeling faded when it became clear that his lessons were not going to be fully implemented. This week’s tragedy has left him with a deep sadness. Respected by fire agencies across the country, Cohen and Pyne have found their straight-talk admonitions often disregarded or dismissed. Sensitive to losses and suffering, both said they are motivated...

California’s leaders are “charlatans and empty suits” for neglecting infrastructure and embracing performative politics, according to world-renowned historian and political commentator Dr. Victor Davis Hanson, who exposed policy failures he says have turned Los Angeles into a burning wasteland, comparing the city’s devastation to the World War II firebombing of Dresden. In a recent post, titled “Dresden in Los Angeles and Our Confederacy of Dunces,” which has amassed more than 1.2 million views as of Monday, Hanson delivered a fiery critique, calling out California’s leadership for its role in the disaster. In the viral post, he drew parallels between L.A.’s...