A chilling new documentary, set to release in December, dissects the devastating wildfires that swept through California last year, raising disturbing questions about the response – or lack thereof – from those in power.
The film, titled *Paradise Abandoned*, doesn’t shy away from placing blame, focusing intensely on the actions of California Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass during the crisis. Accounts within the documentary suggest a startling level of inaction as flames engulfed communities.
When the fires initially erupted, Mayor Bass was notably absent from the country, attending an event in Africa unrelated to her mayoral duties. This absence fueled immediate criticism and questions about leadership during a critical moment.
The documentary features harrowing testimony from residents who describe a systemic failure of government to protect their homes, despite the Pacific Palisades being previously identified as an area of “maximum fire risk.” Crucially, no additional fire resources were proactively deployed to the region.
The scale of the destruction was immense. Over 23,000 acres burned, nearly 7,000 buildings were reduced to ash, and twelve lives were tragically lost. *Paradise Abandoned* meticulously details how decisions – and indecisions – at both state and local levels directly contributed to this widespread devastation.
One particularly striking scene captured in the film shows Governor Newsom and Mayor Bass walking near the burning Chase Bank Building. Witnesses recount that firefighters stationed alongside the officials made no attempt to extinguish the blaze, allowing the structure to collapse while Newsom addressed the press nearby.
The documentary paints a picture of a community abandoned, left to grapple with the consequences of what many believe was gross negligence. It begs the question of accountability and how such a catastrophic event was allowed to unfold.
The film’s release is expected to reignite debate about leadership and preparedness in the face of increasingly frequent and intense wildfires, forcing a reckoning with the decisions made – and not made – during a time of immense crisis.
