Tag Archives: LAFD

LAFD battle new blaze north of Los Angeles: The Hughes Fire broke out late Wednesday

Hughes Fire

Important Takeaways:

  • Firefighters fought to maintain the upper hand on a huge and rapidly moving wildfire that swept through rugged mountains north of Los Angeles and resulted in more than 50,000 people being put under evacuation orders or warnings.
  • The Hughes Fire broke out late Wednesday morning and in less than a day had charred nearly 16 square miles (41 square kilometers) of trees and brush near Castaic Lake, a popular recreation area about 40 miles (64 kilometers) from the devastating Eaton and Palisades fires that are burning for a third week.
  • By Wednesday night, about 14% of the Hughes Fire had been contained.
  • Red flag warnings were extended through 10 a.m. Friday in LA and Ventura counties. Officials remained concerned that the Palisades and Eaton fires could break their containment lines as firefighters continue watching for hot spots.
  • An evacuation warning was issued for Sherman Oaks after a brush fire broke out on the Sepulveda Pass near the I-405 Freeway. The blaze was first reported just after 11 p.m. Wednesday, but the Los Angeles Fire Department announced early Thursday that forward progress had been stopped at about 40 acres (16 hectares) and the evacuation warning was lifted. No structures were damaged and no injuries were reported, fire officials said, but firefighters remained at the scene.
  • More than 31,000 people have been ordered to evacuate from the Hughes Fire, and another 23,000 are under evacuation warnings, LA County Sheriff Robert Luna said. There were no reports of homes or other structures burned.
  • More than 4,000 firefighters were assigned to the fire, he said.
  • To the south, Los Angeles officials began to prepare for potential rain even as some residents were allowed to return to the charred Pacific Palisades and Altadena areas. Gusty weather was expected to last through Thursday and precipitation was possible starting Saturday, according to the weather service.
  • “Rains are in the forecast and the threat of mud and debris flow in our fire-impacted communities is real,” Supervisor Kathryn Barger said during a Wednesday morning news conference.

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LAFD payroll fiasco ‘Some people are out $30-40,000.’ Guys had to take out loans and credit cards to pay their mortgages

Important Takeaways:

  • Los Angeles firefighters are claiming they are owed tens of thousands of dollars due to months of payroll errors – with some being forced to take out credit cards and loans to make ends meet.
  • Outraged senior LAFD officials claimed colleagues have been forced to take out credit cards and loans to avoid missing mortgage payments, with some allegedly owed $30,000 to 40,000.
  • Some in the organization even said they are being skimped out of their paychecks – with payroll distributing $200 instead of several thousand.
  • Meanwhile, as DailyMail.com reported, Fire Chief Kristin Crowley stands accused of refusing to return $37,000 in accidental overpay, an ongoing lawsuit by a former LAFD attorney said.
  • Firefighters shared payslips with DailyMail.com showing the apparent errors – including pay being docked rather than added for working overtime, and deductions for healthcare allegedly inflated ten times what they should have been.
  • LAFD staff spoke on condition of anonymity, out of fear of retaliation by top brass.
  • ‘They’re wanting us to work more and more, but they’re not paying us correctly. It’s a fiasco,’ said one senior LAFD official, who has been trying to help dozens of staff with alleged pay errors.
  • ‘It’s not a couple thousand dollars per guy, it’s tens of thousands of dollars.
  • ‘Some people are out $30-40,000. Guys had to take out loans and credit cards to pay their mortgages.
  • ‘They switched over to a new payroll company called Workday. Once they switched it over, everybody’s pay went haywire.’
  • Workday did not respond to a request for comment.
  • Another LAFD firefighter told DailyMail.com: ‘We transitioned to a new pay program a few months ago, it’s a disaster. A lot of guys’ pay is a mess.’

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