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Headlines From The Times

Another scandal for L.A. Fire Department

Headlines From The Times

L.A. Times Studios

News, Daily News, Society & Culture, The Times, California

4.1544 Ratings

🗓️ 17 March 2022

⏱️ 20 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

A city-commissioned report found an L.A. Fire Department senior official was likely intoxicated while in charge of a devastating fire. Here's what happened next.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Last May, the Palisades fire ripped through the Santa Monica Mountains.

0:05.0

We are here to share the latest information on the brush fire in the Pacific Palisades.

0:09.0

Still, we're holding at 1,325 acres as the official number, but the fire has grown so.

0:15.0

About 1,000 people were put under mandatory evacuation orders, and about 500 homes were threatened by the flames.

0:21.4

Thankfully, we have had no structures destroyed our damage

0:25.8

and no residents reported any injuries.

0:28.9

As that emergency was unfolding,

0:30.7

the guy in charge of the Los Angeles Fire Department's

0:33.5

operations center that was overseeing the fire,

0:36.5

he was allegedly drunk.

0:38.2

That's according to an investigation commission by city officials.

0:42.6

And a reset LA Times investigation details what happened next.

0:47.5

Nothing.

0:50.9

I'm Gustavo Oriano.

0:52.6

You're listening to The Times, Daily News from the LA Times.

0:55.9

It's Thursday, March 17, 2022.

0:59.5

Today, why and how that top L.A. fire official, who was allegedly barracho on the job,

1:04.5

got no discipline and retired with a $1.4 million payout.

1:08.8

And what that decision says about L.A. politics.

1:14.6

Paul Pringle is an L.A. Times investigative reporter.

1:17.4

Paul, welcome to the Times.

1:18.9

Thanks for having me.

...

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