Following the ignition of the Palisades fire, officials at the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) emphasized that their firefighting efforts were impeded by malfunctioning fire engines and a shortage of mechanics to repair them.
They claimed that if approximately 40 engines currently inoperable had been functional, the response to what became one of the most catastrophic disasters in Los Angeles history could have been significantly different.
Former Fire Chief Kristin Crowley pointed to the broken engines as a reason why fire personnel could not be dispatched to high-risk areas as winds intensified and why many firefighters were sent home while the fire spiraled out of control.
Crowley indicated that the department should have maintained three times as many mechanics.
However, an investigation by The Times unveiled that many of the engines cited by LAFD officials had been out of commission for several months, and sometimes years, and not just due to the lack of available mechanics.
In addition, records indicated that LAFD had numerous other fire engines that could have been deployed prior to the flames.
This leads to a larger concern regarding the city’s long-term dependence on an aging fleet of firefighting equipment.
Statistics presented in an LAFD report to the city Fire Commission highlighted that over half of the fire engines, 127 out of 210, which accounts for around 60%, and 29 out of 60 ladder trucks, representing 48%, are operating beyond their suggested lifespans.
Frank Líma, general secretary treasurer of the International Association of Fire Fighters and an LAFD captain, remarked that maintaining front-line equipment has not been prioritized.
He noted the pressures on frontline rigs, which are
image source from：https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-06-01/damaged-engines-didnt-affect-palisades-firefight-but-they-point-to-a-larger-problem
