There is a dogpile going on right now in the City of Los Angeles, as lawsuits and counter lawsuits — between Mayor Karen Bass and Gov. Gavin Newsom, no less — over the Palisades Fire have drawn attention away from what may be the most insulting and sickening environy — humans-last diktats made in the name of protecting the environment which actually do the opposite — perpetrated by the powers-that-be on L.A. fire victims.
In the nearly 14 months since their homes, schools, and community were largely destroyed in the Palisades Fire, victims have been ordered by the city to clear their empty lots of brush where their rebuilt homes should be. Most of the lots are empty dirt patches.
Of course, it’s a good idea to clear land of tinder-dry brush in a wildfire-prone area. Makes sense. If you knew the backstory of why the Lachman Fire, which later turned into the conflagration in the Pacific Palisades and Malibu, grew out of control in this fire zone, however, you’d be outraged, too.
The Lachman Fire was allowed to continue to burn underground because, as firefighter texts revealed, they couldn’t bring in heavy equipment due to the environmental sensitivity of the area. I wrote about it in Bombshell Texts Reveal L.A. Fire Brass Knew Fire That Burned Down Palisades Wasn’t Out.
The man accused of setting the initial fire has been locked up while awaiting federal trial, which I wrote about in Suspect’s Bible Used to Spark Palisades Fire — But Newsom and Bass Will Have Hell to Pay. It turns out the accused arsonist only dreamed of starting a fire with his Bible, but maybe the story will change again by the start of his trial.
As if the magic, however, the environmentally sensitive milk vetch plant, for which the Palisades was sacrificed, isn’t quite as important anymore. Suddenly, homeowners — aka fire victims — will be fined if they don’t clear the brush away from their lots.
In another story, Stunner: California Saved a Shrub Instead of Protecting Humans From the L.A. Firestorm, which I wrote as burned bodies were being found, and homes and Teslas were still smoldering, we learned that some botany-loving hiker reported the L.A. Department of Water and Power for trying to create fire breaks and brush clearing in Topanga Canyon. The State of California and Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office of environy ordered the brush clearing stopped. They replaced the plants and brush.
I looked back at a 2019 L.A. Times story that confirmed the Palisades homes, schools, community, and the dozen people who died in the fire were sacrificed for Braunton’s milk vetch plants. I wrote:
The L.A. Times reported —and I’m sure it killed them to do it—that enviros stopped the brush mitigation around Topanga Canyon by the L.A. Department of Water and Power in the Pacific Palisades in 2019 because of “community concerns about protected plants in the construction area.”
Please stop the head banging. You’ll lose consciousness and miss the rest of the story.
The Times reported in 2019 that DWP wanted to replace old wooden electricity poles with steel ones to lessen the fire fuel in Topanga Canyon. They also hoped to widen fire breaks on the slope leading from the Palisades to Pacific Coast Highway.
The Times reported that the DWP work only “potentially” destroyed the plant. There was no evidence that the plant had been hurt.
I continued:
This “potential” destruction was reported to the California Coastal Commission by amateur botanist and hiker David Pluenneke, who told the Times, “It’s hard not to think that if there had been blue whales and panda bears up there, they would have bulldozed them, too.”
Palisades homeowner, Jeremy Padawer, who’s become more outspoken on the city and state’s negligence as the weeks roll by, posted a letter from the City of L.A. that threatened homeowners with a $31 fine for failing to clear their brush.
Bass, Newsom didn’t clear dangerous brush…
Pacific Palisades, Altadena, Malibu burned.
Now Los Angeles is FINING Palisades burned lot holders for “brush clearance initial inspection noncompliance notices.”
… while their lots sit vacant, burned, not yet permitted to build… pic.twitter.com/oSanXXgRAz
— Jeremy Padawer (@JeremyCom) February 23, 2026
It ain’t about the money. Padawer, an entrepreneur who sold My Kitty to Berkshire Hathaway, is outraged by the move. It’s not the $31. It’s the $31 on top of no permits, no brush clearing to begin with, no water in the fire hydrants, and now the height of insult are these “brush clearance initial inspection noncompliance notices.” Hell, you can’t even get an inspector out to do anything for fire victims.
Bass, Newsom didn’t clear dangerous brush… Pacific Palisades, Altadena, Malibu burned.Now, Los Angeles is FINING Palisades burned lot holders for “brush clearance initial inspection noncompliance notices.” … while their lots sit vacant, burned, not yet permitted to build often because of red tape. You can’t make this up. Limited water, prevention, plan, people, firetrucks. No brush clearance by leadership or their teams. Fire on state ground. Limited response due to a protected plant. Roll the dice and lose cities. And now fine your victims in yet another attempt to SHIFT THE BLAME from ineptitude, gross negligence to the victims.
He wrote in another message on X, “$31 for brush clearance. $35,000 for fire hydrants. $$$ for permit fees. $$$ for property taxes on burned down lots and toxic homes. $$$ for state and local taxes on the rebuild. $5 billion. The $31 is the tip of the iceberg.”
And on it goes.
With President Trump back in the White House, the state of our Union is strong once again.
Support PJ Media’s coverage of the president’s State of the Union Address and help us report the truth the radical left doesn’t want you to hear. Hit this link and join PJ Media VIP and use promo code POTUS47 to get 74% off your VIP membership. HURRY — This deal ends today!
