‘They let us burn’: Palisades Fire victims protest leadership one year after catastrophic wildfires

Palisades Fire survivors protested Wednesday to demand accountability from elected officials on the one-year anniversary of one of California’s most destructive wildfires.

"We didn't have water, we didn't have reservoirs, we didn't have personnel, and there was no emergency response," said Jeremy Padawer, organizer of the "They let us burn" rally.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and fire officials were among the leaders and agencies targeted by the demonstrators. However, Padawer said it was not a politically motivated gathering.

"It’s just crazy to think that we just didn't even have the resources here in a city that is known to have fire danger in the past years," Palisades resident Chad Skowron said. 

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Los Angeles city councilmember Traci Park was among the rally’s featured speakers. She told Fox News Digital that LA was "not well prepared" for the disaster.

"These are constituents who feel that they were really, in many ways, let down on January 7th, 2025," Park said. "All of the systems that we desperately needed to work on that day in history failed around them."

Many of the hundreds of rallygoers took aim at California leaders like Newsom and Bass, including fire victim Skowron.

"You're out of here," he told Fox News Digital. "There's no chance you're getting re-elected."

Skowron said police tried to arrest him multiple times for being in the mandatory evacuation zone.

"I got almost arrested like three times in the matter of like two days because they kept trying to make me leave," he explained. "And I said no. And then I was jumping fences in my neighbor's yards, putting out little fires and stuff."

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Several attendees also expressed their frustrations with the "disaster" that was the lack of on-the-ground manpower in the Palisades as wildfires ravaged the town.

"I have friends in the [fire] department. They were told to back down, stand down," Palisades resident Jason Winget claimed.

"Our firefighters were out there on the front lines without the basic resources that they needed. Water to fight fire," councilmember Park said.

"Pisses me off to be frank," Palisades resident Cooper Kilgore told Fox News Digital. "It’s a bummer that we have so many people here that needed help that there is none to be given."

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Palisades resident Doran Adhami said the community has been let down by leadership and insisted it must change.

"Leadership could have done much more to help the citizens of the Palisades, of the Eaton fires," Adhami told Fox News Digital. "The leadership has to be different. There has to be a demand for running this city efficiently. It was grossly mismanaged."

Padawer, who lost his home in the Palisades Fire, called for more "accountable" and "transparent" leadership.

"No more lies, come to the table with what actually occurred and settle with the community so that the people who need it the most can actually come home," he said.

Several other rallygoers issued the same frustrations with elected officials about their role in the deadly blaze.

"Our government, local officials, Newsom and Bass completely failed us," Gregg Champion told Fox News Digital.

"Please, step down. It's time to go," Winget added. "Look what they do to this town. This is — this is one little cosmos of how they run this town. Can you imagine what the country would look like if they were actually up there? Good luck."

Park empathized with her constituents who feel failed by leadership and said their pain will never disappear.

"These are scars that this community will carry forever," the councilmember said.

The rally was a time for many displaced Palisades residents to reconnect with neighbors and reflect on the tragedy of the fire on its one-year anniversary.

"We are going rebuild the Palisades, but we need local and federal governments to support us. We need some help," Adhami said.

"This was so preventable, completely preventable," said Palisades resident Carmen. "We were completely let down. We weren't taken care of."