LA gave away 'surplus' fire fighting equipment to Ukraine in 2022

As wildfires in and around Los Angeles continue to grow, the county has been criticized for sending extra firefighting equipment to Ukraine.

Just months after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, hoses, nozzles, helmets, body armor, bunker gear, and other personal protective equipment were sent over to the Eastern European country, which is still in the midst of a war against Russia two years later.

The Los Angeles County Fire Department was reached out to by the "First-in Fire Foundation" and worked with LA County, LA City Fire, and the National Guard to collect extra surplus gear that was sitting in storage, per ABC 7.

Then-LA County Fire Chief Daryl Osby said at the time, "We are extremely proud to help our brothers and sister firefighters in Ukraine because we know how dangerous it is to fight fires with full gear. We've never experienced doing it in a war. So whatever we can do to assist them, to enable them to protect the lives and property of their fellow citizens, we're on board."

"Everyone wants to know what can we do to support these brave citizens of Ukraine who are, you know, risking their lives to save their country, and I think, I think the residents of L.A.County are going to appreciate this chief," said Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn. "And they'll be able to say 'we're a part of a county that actually stepped up, and did something tangible to help those who are over there fighting this war."

Kern County, which lies just north of Los Angeles County, donated a retired fire truck to Ukraine through US Ambulances for Ukraine in October 2024, per KGET.

Jonathan Drucker of the Kern County Fire Department said at the time, "In this case, we were approached by a nonprofit who said, ‘Hey, we have a need in Ukraine for a fire engine to support a fire department out there. And so they’d been asking for a while, and finally we had an engine that became available and we were able to specifically fill a request of this nonprofit and send an engine over in Ukraine where there is a civilian population that need of fire service."

These donations have faced new scrutiny as the city of Los Angeles is facing multiple wildfires. On Tuesday, the Palisades and Eaton fires began burning, with the Palisades ballooning to over 17,000 acres as of Thursday morning and the Eaton fire burning over 10,000 acres. Multiple smaller wildfires have popped up, including the Sunset fire in the Hollywood hills, which has burned nearly 50 acres as of Tuesday morning, and the Hurst fire, which has burned 855.

The Palisades and Eaton fires remain zero percent contained. LA firefighters have been running out of water as they attempt to get the blazes under control.