Gavin Newsom slashed fire prevention budget by $100 million before deadly wildfires: report

Signed into law in June, the budget eliminated $101 million from seven “wildfire and forest resilience” programs, which has raised questions about the state’s preparedness as devastating wildfires rage across California.

Among the reductions was a $5 million cut to CAL FIRE’s budget for fuel reduction teams, leaving $129 million allocated to these efforts. The reduction impacts funds used by the state National Guard for “vegetation management work” intended to reduce threats of fires starting and spreading. Additional cuts included $28 million from various conservancies for wildfire resilience and $8 million from fire monitoring and research programs.

In response to criticism, Newsom’s office dismissed claims of negligence, calling reports of funding cuts a “ridiculous lie.” A spokesperson for the governor said in a statement to Fox News, “The governor has doubled the size of our firefighting army, built the world’s largest aerial firefighting fleet and the state has increased the forest management ten-fold since he took office.”

The report comes as Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass also faces backlash for cutting funding to the Los Angeles Fire Department by $17.6 million in the city’s latest budget. Critics have called for an investigation into her administration’s budget priorities, with some even demanding her resignation.

The fires have forced over 150,000 California residents to evacuate, with tens of billions of dollars in damages already estimated. At least 11 people have been confirmed dead, and thousands of structures have been destroyed as the wildfires continue to spread.