Criswell Comments On Cali’s Preparedness

FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell’s assertion that Southern California officials were “very prepared” for last week’s devastating fires has raised more than a few eyebrows. Her comments, made during an interview with CBS News, seemed to fly in the face of mounting evidence that systemic issues—including mismanagement, poor infrastructure, and insufficient preparation—contributed to the catastrophic destruction caused by the fires.

Criswell told CBS host Margaret Brennan that Southern California firefighters are “used to” battling blazes, attempting to paint a picture of readiness despite the unprecedented scale of this latest disaster. “They fight fires all the time,” Criswell claimed. However, she quickly pivoted, blaming the devastation on the unprecedented winds.

“They have never seen 100-mile-an-hour winds that are fueling the fire,” she said. That’s an interesting take, given that California regularly contends with the infamous Santa Ana winds—powerful gusts that have fueled countless wildfires in the state’s history. For residents, these winds are anything but a surprise.

When asked why the Los Angeles area was so unprepared for these wildfires, @FEMA_Deanne says, "I think that they were very prepared." But she adds the firefighters "have never seen 100 mph winds that are fueling the fire." pic.twitter.com/JELhORdFoE

— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) January 12, 2025

Her remarks also attempted to downplay the growing scrutiny of California’s infrastructure and disaster preparedness. She suggested that the densely populated area made it difficult for firefighters to reach the flames, but that explanation doesn’t hold much weight when you consider how often urban areas in the state have been the scene of fire emergencies. If anything, this scenario should have prompted more robust planning and resource allocation long before the fires ignited.

Then there’s the issue of power lines, a well-documented catalyst for many of California’s most devastating wildfires. When pressed on whether federal disaster relief funds under the outgoing Biden administration would come with stipulations for modernizing the state’s electrical grid—specifically, burying power lines underground—Criswell essentially punted the responsibility back to California officials. “It’s not going to be a requirement for us unless it’s part of their local code,” she said, before adding vaguely, “We’ll work closely with California, also using this as an opportunity.”

In other words, FEMA won’t demand any meaningful reforms as a condition for federal aid, leaving it up to local officials to decide if burying power lines—an expensive but potentially life-saving investment—is something they want to prioritize.

Criswell hinted that federal programs could potentially fund such initiatives if California chose to pursue them, but the lack of urgency in her response will likely frustrate critics who argue that such measures should be non-negotiable after yet another deadly disaster.

The fires, which ripped through Southern California with ferocity, have once again laid bare the state’s vulnerabilities. Critics have long pointed to poor forest management, outdated infrastructure, and reactive rather than proactive policies as culprits in the state’s inability to mitigate the impacts of wildfires. Yet here we are again, with FEMA delivering vague assurances and California officials scrambling to play catch-up.