California’s Senators MIA as Sen Scott and Johnson Assess Palisades Fire and Victims

Ten months ago, a series of catastrophic wildfires burned Pacific Palisades, Altadena and much of Malibu to the ground. Ten months later, most of the area still looks the way it did after the fires.

While Gavin Newsom spent last week in Brazil blaming climate change for the Palisades/Altadena/Malibu fires, recent reports reveal that the fires raged due to the incompetence of state and local officials. Firefighters were ordered to abandon the smoldering underground fire that later became the devastating Palisades Fire, something the crews on the ground thought was a “bad idea,” the Los Angeles Times reported.

According to text messages, firefighters told their battalion chief that “the ground was still smoldering and rocks remained hot to the touch” at the site of the Lachman Fire, which burned on New Year’s Day.

Despite that warning, “their battalion chief ordered them to roll up their hoses and pull out of the area on Jan. 2 — the day after the 8-acre blaze was declared contained — rather than stay and make sure there were no hidden embers that could spark a new fire,” the LA Times reported.

California’s two U.S. Senators, Adam Schiff and Alex Padilla, both Democrats, have not only been silent about the near-zero progress in rebuilding the Pacific Palisades following last January’s devastating fire which destroyed the Los Angeles neighborhood, they are MIA.

“12 people burned alive, 7,000 homes burnt to the ground, and over $50 billion in losses in the last 10 months alone,” according to actor and Palisades resident Spencer Pratt.

It has been 10 months since the Palisades fires, and most residents are still living in temporary housing, with only a handful of homes are under construction.

Two Republican senators, Senator Rick Scott, as chairman of the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging, held a field hearing in Pacific Palisades, California with Senator Ron Johnson, chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee’s Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations.

“I was in the Palisades this week leading a @SenateAging hearing on this fire because many of these victims are seniors,” Sen. Rick Scott posted to X. “This is infuriating and further evidence of the unbelievable incompetence by local and state government that our witnesses exposed in Thursday’s hearing.”

I was in the Palisades this week leading a @SenateAging hearing on this fire because many of these victims are seniors.

This is infuriating and further evidence of the unbelievable incompetence by local and state government that our witnesses exposed in Thursday’s hearing. pic.twitter.com/j9NNUquZ9O

— Rick Scott (@SenRickScott) November 16, 2025

The hearing focused on how seniors were especially impacted by the January 2025 Pacific Palisades wildfire. Survivors, local leaders, and advocates shared how both they and older residents struggled to prepare, evacuate, and recover – and how many are still facing obstacles to rebuild ten months later. Senators Scott and Johnson underscored the need to get relief and answers for these victims on exactly what went wrong, who is being held accountable, and how it can be prevented from happening again, Sen. Scott said.

Notably, the Senators want to know how and why the fire happened and why city and state officials – all Democrats – haven’t expedited permitting and building.

“We have poured billions of dollars into California for fire prevention. What did they do with it? That’s got to be a key element,” said Johnson. “Any federal support has got to come with major strings attached to it to make sure this stuff can be prevented in the future.”

The hearing comes as the senators continue their ongoing congressional investigation into the January 2025 wildfires, As part of their investigation, Senators Scott and Johnson have sent multiple letters to federal, state, and local officials seeking answers on California’s preparedness, mitigation, and response failures — including prevention efforts, prescribed burns, arson investigations, and overall disaster response and recovery. See the latest HERE.

The stories we heard from victims of the Palisades fire are heartbreaking. Thanks to @SpencerPratt for bringing this to our attention. As Chairman, @SenRickScott is focused on working with @SenRonJohnson to get answers ASAP.

The stories we heard from victims of the Palisades fire are heartbreaking.

Thanks to @SpencerPratt for bringing this to our attention. As Chairman, @SenRickScott is focused on working with @SenRonJohnson to get answers ASAP. pic.twitter.com/LzjHrvUckj

— Senate Aging Committee (@SenateAging) November 14, 2025

“Schiff didn’t show up for the official public hearing where the real hard questions are asked about government negligence,” Pratt posted to X. “Instead he staged his own hand-picked photo op the next day in Altadena.”

Schiff didn’t show up for the official public hearing where the real hard questions are asked about government negligence. Instead he staged his own hand-picked photo op the next day in Altadena. pic.twitter.com/DRcn0dDiZQ

— Spencer Pratt (@spencerpratt) November 16, 2025

In July, at a staged event, Gov. Newsom celebrated “Palisades Fire ‘Recovery” – except residents say “NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE,” the Globe reported. “This is political for the governor. This staged event ended up being a love-fest for Gov. Newsom and the First Partner, a launching for Newsom to go to South Carolina to begin his presidential campaign. The fire recovery was clearly secondary.”

And it was so obvious.

“This has been the fastest fire recovery in terms of debris removal in modern history” said Gov. Newsom, talking about “leading into the next phase at a historic pace.”

Notably, the federal government handled the cleanup – FEMA, the EPA and Army Corps of Engineers – not the State of California or Los Angeles.

Also notable, was that Senator Alex Padilla was at Newsom’s July staged event, and used the opportunity to complain about National Guard members being used at the border. Sen. Padilla thanked Gov. Newsom for his “tirelessness” with the fire recovery,  and he thanked the “First Partner.”

“Thank you, thank you, thank you” Senator Alex Padilla said.

There was no “thank you thank you thank you” from Padilla last week.

Gavin Newsom used his six-month fire progress press conference to launch his presidential campaign. There was no new information provided – only Southern California politicians showing their love for Governor Newsom and his “First Partner.”

This was a despicable display of electioneering using a disaster to curry favor.

It will be fascinating to watch the class action lawsuit filed against six government entities, seeking more than $10 billion in monetary damages, in connection with the devastating Palisades Fire: the City of Los Angeles, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP), California Natural Resources Agency, California State Parks, Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, and the Mountains Recreation & Conservation Authority.

Newsom admin profile pic dropped Jan 7 https://t.co/mXDfSQqoI6 pic.twitter.com/iU4hlPKrxA

— Spencer Pratt (@spencerpratt) November 16, 2025