Wildfires continue to rage across southern California destroying homes and businesses and prompting thousands to evacuate their homes.

While the fire itself started due to dry weather conditions with strong winds fanning the flames, many in the US are now blaming government mismanagement as the main reason for the death and destruction that is ravaging the State of California.

Wildfires continue to rage across southern California, destroying more than 10,000 structures and prompting evacuation orders for hundreds of thousands of residents.

As flames engulf swathes of Los Angeles, the Palisades fire on the city's Western flank and the Eaton fire in the East already rank as the most destructive in Los Angeles history.

Analysts project total economic losses at $50 to $150 billion. The fires have also killed several people, but officials say the death toll is certain to rise much higher.

As the fires spread across California, turning whole neighborhoods into ash, Los Angeles Mayor, Karen Bass, and California Governor, Gavin Newsom, are facing strong criticism.

The two leaders are under fire for mismanagement of resources leading up to the disaster.

Bass has been particularly criticized for being out of the country as wildfires rage in Southern California.

As fire crews are fighting the fast-spreading fires, the efforts are repeatedly hampered by low water pressure and fire hydrants that have gone dry.

Experts say there are vulnerabilities in water supply systems as the storage tanks that hold water for high elevation areas and the pumping system that feed them, are not built for wildfires on this scale.
Meanwhile, California residents express deep frustration and despair as underfunded fire departments struggle to manage the crisis.

Before the wildfires broke out across Los Angeles, the city fire chief had said that budget cuts were hampering the department's ability to respond to emergencies.

According to the city's budget document, funding for the LA Fire Department decreased by $17.6 million between 2023 and 2025. These cuts, according to officials, severely limited the fire department's capacity to prepare for and response to large scale emergencies.

While the US administration is still trying to figure out how to contain the flames, gusty winds are expected to return as early as Sunday after a little respite on Friday and Saturday, fanning more flames and spreading the raging fires to more areas across the country.