Historian criticizes California leaders for their 'irrational' wildfire management strategy.

Victor Davis Hanson, a historian and political commentator, stated that there were many factors that led to the "nonsensical" response from Los Angeles and California state leaders to the ongoing wildfires in the region.

"According to Davis, a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution public policy think tank, in order to address the issue, it is necessary to understand the root cause of the problem, which includes both short-term and long-term issues. In his interview with Planet Chronicle Digital on Tuesday, Davis stated that climate change may not have played a significant role in the problem, at least not immediately."

The situation in Los Angeles was described by Davis as a "woke green hydrogen bomb" due to several factors, including Mayor Karen Bass' absence during the first 24 hours of the inferno, empty fire hydrants, a faulty reservoir, a defunded fire department, and a lack of new water infrastructure despite Gov. Gavin Newsom's support for the billions of dollars allocated to address it.

"Hanson stated that the system is very fragile. Gavin Newsom did not take the allocated funds to construct reservoirs that could accommodate the growing population. Additionally, the water being pumped across the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta was released into the bay due to environmentalist demands. Despite his defense, the reservoirs are not fully filled. The largest one is only 75% full, and we are currently in a semi-drought."

In a pretaped interview with NBC News that aired on Sunday, Newsom stated that the state reservoirs in Southern California are fully filled. He added that the spread of mis- and disinformation does not benefit anyone.

As of Tuesday, Shasta Lake, California's largest reservoir, was at 77% capacity, with approximately 3.52 million acre-feet of water out of its total capacity of 4.55 million acre-feet, according to the Bureau of Reclamation.

Newsom's office has not responded to Planet Chronicle Digital's request for comment.

Many of California's reservoirs were constructed in the mid-20th century, and they have a limited capacity to hold water.

Despite the passage of Proposition 1 in 2014, which authorized $2.7 billion in bonds for water storage capacity expansion, no new reservoirs have been completed as of January.

In 2024, California experienced record-breaking rainfall due to an atmospheric river event, but the state's water infrastructure struggled to manage the sudden influx of water. As a result, a significant portion of that rainfall was dumped into the ocean, according to multiple California agencies.

"Hanson stated that a 120 million gallon reservoir could have been utilized if they had three million in reserve, which would have likely made a significant difference. The reservoir had been inactive for almost a year due to a torn cover, making it unproductive."

Since February, the Santa Ynez Reservoir in Pacific Palisades, which was referred to by Hanson as an out-of-order reservoir, has been closed for repairs due to a tear in its covering that was intended to maintain water quality, as first reported by the Los Angeles Times on Tuesday.

He explained that his Central Valley farm depends on snowmelt from the Sierra Nevada Mountains, as Hanson owns it.

The San Joaquin River system in California's Central Valley relies on water from the Sierra, with major dams such as Shaver, Huntington, and Pine Flat supporting it. This water is then released into the Sacramento River, which flows into the Delta. Despite the growing demand, no new dams have been constructed on the San Joaquin system in many years.

In northern California's Cascade Range and northern Sierra, snowmelt provides water on the west side of the valley, which flows into larger reservoirs such as Oroville and Folsom. These reservoirs were constructed to store water during wet years, providing a consistent supply in average years and serving as a backup during drought years.

Recent weeks have seen a prolonged dry spell in California, with little rain or snow, resulting in dropping reservoir levels.

"According to Hanson, when Gavin Newsom states that "they're full," it does not mean they are completely full, but they are descending at a rapid rate. This is because Newsom will not stop the releases to the ocean. However, Hanson clarifies that the releases are still ongoing, and not all of it is being pumped to the aqueduct, which serves agriculture in Los Angeles."

Meanwhile, Newsom has shifted the blame to local management and ordered an independent review of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power.

On Jan. 10, Newsom wrote to the department's director and the director of Los Angeles County Public Works, requesting answers about the cause of the lost water supply, as reported.

On Monday, Newsom's office announced that he proposed allocating at least $2.5 billion in additional funding to enhance California's emergency response and recovery efforts in Los Angeles.

The proposed funding, totaling $1.5 billion, would be used for recovery and cleanup operations, improving wildfire preparedness, and reopening schools affected by fires. This funding would come from the state's Disaster Response Emergency Operations Account, with the climate bond funds being used more quickly for immediate use, as per his office.

The deadly Palisades and Eaton fires in Los Angeles County have seen a slight increase in containment, as per a Wednesday night update from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

The Palisades fire, which is the larger of the two at 23,713 acres burned as of Wednesday, is at 21% containment after its ignition in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood more than a week ago, according to the department.

As of Wednesday night, the Eaton Fire in the Altadena/Pasadena area was 45% contained. The two fires began on the same day, January 7th.

Planet Chronicle Digital has reached out to Bass' office for comment.

Planet Chronicle Digital's Elizabeth Pritchett contributed to this report.