Lesbian Fire Chief Blamed for L.A. Wildfires by Conservatives
Conservatives falsely complain Kristin Crowley prioritized DEI over firefighting, leading to the horrific situation in Los Angeles.
Right-wing commentators have blamed the devastating Southern California wildfires on Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley, claiming that she has prioritized implementing pro-diversity initiatives over her duties.
Crowley, who is a lesbian, has borne the brunt of the right-wing’s outrage despite the fact there’s no evidence that she’s either unqualified for her job (she was in the top 50 of 16,000 applicants when she passed her firefighter exam) or that the department’s diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives took money away from firefighting efforts.
Experts believe that the wildfires currently ravaging Southern California are caused by climate change, which has altered wind and rain patterns in the region, and, when combined with a lack of rainfall, hot Santa Ana winds that have dehydrated vegetation, and a series of extended droughts that have plagued California in recent years, creates fires that are more severe and harder to contain.
Additionally, the Los Angeles infrastructure contains an abundance of flammable materials, including low-hanging power cables and wooden telephone poles, that make perfect fuel for a fire. Due to these conditions, any small spark can lead to an out-of-control fire.
Still, according to conservative news outlets, the wildfires are an example of “death by DEI,” in which either allegedly unqualified individuals are promoted to positions where they are ineffective in stopping natural disasters or preventable crimes, or where people in positions of power have prioritized diversifying their workforce over promoting people on “merit.”
Newsmax host Rob Finnerty claimed last week that Crowley was “incompetent” at her job, citing, as evidence for this claim, the fact that the Los Angeles city website notes she is the first female and LGBTQ fire chief in the city’s history.
Finnerty appeared to link Crowley’s sexual orientation to DEI, alleging that Crowley was more concerned about promoting pro-diversity hiring efforts than preparing for “wildfire season” by ensuring there was enough water in fire hydrants.
“[P]lease do not be fooled by what you’re hearing from the media. These are not once-in-a-generation wildfires. This is not climate change,” Finnerty said in his screed attacking Crowley.
CNN commentator Scott Jennings also parroted right-wing attacks on DEI, claiming that it was Crowley’s obsession with diversifying the fire department that led her to shirk other aspects of her job.
“There was some interest in the fire departments and the firefighters in California. And the interest was that there were too many white men who were firefighters,” Jennings said on CNN’s Newsnight program, appearing to reference an initiative from Northern California — to which Crowley has no ties — aimed at diversifying the state’s firefighting force.
“We have DEI, we have budget cuts, and yet I’m wondering now if your house was burning down, how much do you care what color the firefighters are?” Jennings said.
Conservative commentator Megyn Kelly accused Crowley of shirking her duties due to an obsession with diversity.
“In recent years, L.A.’s fire chief has made not filling the fire hydrants top priority, but diversity,” Kelly ranted. “Who gives a shit if the fire chief is gay. I’m sorry but who gives a flying fig about who she likes to sleep with? Can you fight the fucking fires, madam? That’s the relevant question. Can you fight fires? Can you make sure there’s water in the fire hydrants?”
As noted by journalist Emery Winter of the fact-checking website VERIFY, claims that local officials failed to ensure that the city’s water tanks and fire hydrants were sufficiently full of water are false. Rather, according to local officials, the hydrants used by firefighters ran out of water because of “high water demand that is outpacing the speed at which water service officials can replenish the tanks.”
Jeffrey Mount, a senior fellow at the PPIC Water Policy Center, told VERIFY that there isn’t a shortage of water in the area’s reservoirs. Additionally, the California Department of Water Resources website shows that the state’s major reservoirs are at or above their historic levels.
Mike Beasley, the head of the board of Firefighters United for Safety Ethics and Ecology, told National Public Radio that blaming DEI for the current difficulties extinguishing wildfires has “only slightly more credibility than the Jewish space laser theories.”
“There is no number of people that will stop all the fires in the middle of a hot, dry season with the climate-charged fuel aridity. There just isn’t,” Beasley said. “With these Santa Ana winds happening, it’s just about getting people out of the way. It’s not really about putting the fire out until the winds calm down.”
He added that right-wingers’ accusations of DEI are nothing more than political pandering to their ideological allies.
“No fire agency is going to sacrifice training and fundamental fire control and fundamental operations at the expense of DEI training,” he said.
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