Country-wide indignationensued after someHollywood celebritieshave been accused ofignoring water-saving regulationsto maintain theirexpensive gardensas fires ravaged Los Angeles and fire hydrants ran dry.
HighlightsSome celebrities were accused of ignoring water restrictions amid LA wildfires.Kim Kardashian, Stallone, and Hart were fined but kept consuming extra water, according to neighbors.Expensive private firefighting teams hired as public water taps go dry.Extreme weather created the conditions for fires to displace 150,000 people.
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.
RELATED:
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
“Thesecelebritieshave a sense of entitlement,” the angry neighbor explained to theDaily Mail, echoing the sentiments of many who felt the disastrous fires revealed the worst aspects of celebrity andrich people’s culture.
The most wealthy hiredexpensive 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 hydrantsare runningout of water, with up to 20% of Los Angeles’ water tapsgoing 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
Thecalamitous natureof 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.
Fromarsonistsaddingfuel to the fireto“out-of-touch” celebritiesaskingfor moneyvia fundraisers—despite their massive fortunes—the situation has sparkedoutrageacross social media.
Image credits:kevinhart4real
Progress has been slow, with thePalisades Fire, the biggest ofthe three, beingonly 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.
Image credits:The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
Image credits:60 Minutes
For a fire to grow so big, it needs to burn large amounts of fuel.Inthe 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 extendedperiods of time, allowing the fast winds to carry the flames further and cause them to burn brighter.
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.
The back-to-back rains spurred growth, with vegetation flourishing in the aftermath,only to facea sudden and extreme period of droughtsince May 2024, with only 0.03 inches of rainfallingduring the entire period.
This extreme back-and-forth meant that all the extra growth dried and died, creatinglotsof fuel for any spark to become a disasterable todisplace more than150,000 citizens.
“Yet these celebs wonder whythe rest of usdon’t feel overlysympatheticfor them. The rest of us have done all we can to preserve water and complyin an effort tolook 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 allocationis 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
Thanks! Check out the results:You May LikeDisney Worker Downloads Free AI Tool—Loses Job And $200,000 BonusesLei RVHarrison Ford Becomes A Viral Meme After Eating On Screen At 2025 SAG AwardsLei RV24 Tragic Celebrity Passings That Took The Whole World By SurpriseKarina Babenok
Lei RV
Karina Babenok
News
