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Country-wide indignation ensued after some Hollywood celebrities have been accused of ignoring water-saving regulations to maintain their expensive gardens as fires ravaged Los Angeles and fire hydrants ran dry.
The restrictions, in place since 2022, limit the time that regular residents can water their lawns to twice a week for only eight minutes per session. However, entertainment personalities, such as Kim Kardashian, have exceeded their water allocation by hundreds of thousands of gallons and are being penalized as a result.
Despite being fined, neighbors have accused her and other celebrities, such as Sylvester Stallone and Kevin Hart, of continuing to use excessive amounts of water.
“Everyone was told to cut back on water precisely for this situation, to preserve it to fight fires. They carried on watering because they could afford the fines,” a resident told local media.
Netizens are angry after celebrities are accused of breaking water-saving rules to maintain their massive Los Angeles gardens
Image credits: Mike Coppola/Getty Images
“These celebrities have a sense of entitlement,” the angry neighbor explained to the Daily Mail, echoing the sentiments of many who felt the disastrous fires revealed the worst aspects of celebrity and rich people’s culture.
The most wealthy hired expensive private firefighting teams, charging up to $2,000 per hour, to safeguard their properties from the encroaching flames, rubbing salt into the wound.
Image credits: kimkardashian
Chris Dunn, owner of Covered 6, a private firefighting team, explained to the outlet that his phone has been ringing constantly since the tragedy began, with demand reaching unprecedented levels.
A wealthy resident explained his position, stating that most people would do the same if they had the money: “This week’s events have shown you can’t trust the city to protect your property. I have the money, so why not?”
Image credits: Kyle Grillot/Getty Images
The use of private companies comes as public hydrants are running out of water, with up to 20% of Los Angeles’ water taps going dry.
“Right now, we’re not utilizing the hydrants,” Kristin M. Crowley, chief of the Los Angeles Fire Department, explained. “We need answers to ensure this does not happen again, and we have every resource available to fight these catastrophic fires.”
Feelings of helplessness grow as containment efforts continue to struggle to slow the flames’ advance
Image credits: BACKGRID
The calamitous nature of the disaster, comparable only to the tragic events of 2018’s Camp Fire, which ravaged more than 150,000 acres in Northern California, has left many with a sense of impotence, seeking outlets for their anger and sadness as they lose everything to the merciless flames.
From arsonists adding fuel to the fire to “out-of-touch” celebrities asking for money via fundraisers—despite their massive fortunes—the situation has sparked outrage across social media.
Image credits: kevinhart4real
Progress has been slow, with the Palisades Fire, the biggest of the three, being only 14 percent contained as of Monday morning (January 13).
The second largest, the Eaton Fire, has been 33 percent contained, and the smallest, the Hurst Fire, is about to be completely put out with 95 percent containment.
“We keep getting stalled by mother nature,” lamented Joe Everett, assistant chief of the Los Angeles Fire Department, at a news conference. “I know you want to get back in your houses, and we’re coming up with plans to do that,” he continued.
Two seasons of heavy rainfall, followed by one of extreme drought, created the ideal conditions for the flames to spread, according to experts
Image credits: The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
According to climate experts, this year’s Los Angeles wildfires were caused by a perfect combination of factors that made it easier for the flames to expand and grow to massive proportions.
Image credits: 60 Minutes
For a fire to grow so big, it needs to burn large amounts of fuel. In the case of a forest fire, this fuel comes mainly in the form of grasses, leaves, and dried-out shrubbery, which are then immediately consumed.
Structures and trees smolder for more extended periods of time, allowing the fast winds to carry the flames further and cause them to burn brighter.
Image credits: 60 Minutes
In Southern California, precipitation patterns during the preceding two winters were perfect, with 2022 registering 21.45 inches of rain and 18.81 inches in 2023.
Image credits: 60 Minutes
The back-to-back rains spurred growth, with vegetation flourishing in the aftermath, only to face a sudden and extreme period of drought since May 2024, with only 0.03 inches of rain falling during the entire period.
This extreme back-and-forth meant that all the extra growth dried and died, creating lots of fuel for any spark to become a disaster able to displace more than 150,000 citizens.
Netizens were outraged by celebrities ignoring the water limits, feeling the fines they were charged were ineffective
Image credits: kimkardashian
“Yet these celebs wonder why the rest of us don’t feel overly sympathetic for them. The rest of us have done all we can to preserve water and comply in an effort to look out not just for ourselves but our communities,” one user said.
“I wonder where the money collected from the fines went? It certainly didn’t help alleviate a severe water problem which has now resulted in a catastrophe of epic proportions,” another asked.
“Forget the fines; shut the meter off once the allocation is reached,” a reader replied.
“If the punishment is a fine, it only means the rich get charged a fee for doing it. Fines do not stop rich people from abusing rules,” another stated.
“Make the fines proportional to their income, like in Finland. See if they still water when the fine is $2 million.”
“What a disgrace.” Netizens expressed their disappointment on social media, slamming celebrities for ignoring water restrictions amid the fires
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