**California Governor Gavin Newsom Unveils ‘California Fire Facts’ to Combat Misinformation During L.A. Fires**

California Governor Gavin Newsom has launched a new webpage, [California Fire Facts](https://gavinnewsom.com/california-fire-facts/), designed to combat misinformation and dispel rumors surrounding the catastrophic fires in Los Angeles. Nevertheless, the resource does not fully meet the need for comprehensive clarity regarding public worries.

False information regarding the L.A. fires is proliferating on social media platforms, where individuals are speculating and attributing blame for the calamity. The fires have already resulted in the loss of [at least 24 lives](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/california-wildfires-victims-rcna186989) and have devastated [over 12,000 structures](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2025/01/13/homes-burned-los-angeles-wildfires/77669976007/).

### Addressing Misconceptions About Fire Department Funding

One of the most enduring rumors involves claims that millions of dollars were slashed from the fire department’s budget shortly before the disaster. In response, the California Fire Facts site asserts that “the number of CalFIRE [California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection] personnel has nearly doubled since 2019 (from 5,829 to 10,741)” and that “CalFIRE’s budget has nearly doubled since 2019 ($2 billion to $3.8 billion).”

While these statements are somewhat supported by data from California’s [Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO)](https://lao.ca.gov/), a nonpartisan body that evaluates the state budget, they do not specifically refute the claim of a $100 million budget cut last year. Instead, the website emphasizes more general historical patterns since 2019.

The LAO outlines that CalFIRE’s budget increased from $2.525 billion during the [2018-19 fiscal year](https://ebudget.ca.gov/budget/publication/#/e/2018-19/Department/3540) to $4.249 billion in the [2024-25 fiscal year](https://ebudget.ca.gov/budget/publication/#/e/2024-25/Department/3540), with personnel rising from 7,182 to 12,511. Nonetheless, this wider context does little to directly counter the assertions regarding recent funding cuts.

### The $100 Million Wildfire Funding Issue

A [Newsweek article](https://www.newsweek.com/gavin-newsom-cut-100m-fire-prevention-budget-before-california-fires-2012980) brought attention to an LAO review that indicated Newsom’s proposed budget for 2024-25 included a $101 million cut in wildfire and forest resilience funding. However, Rachel Ehlers, LAO’s Deputy Legislative Analyst for Environment and Transportation, noted that this prospective reduction was part of a $2.4 billion one-time Wildfire and Forest Resilience Package spread across four years.

Ultimately, the approved 2024-25 budget decreased this package by $144 million—$43 million more than Newsom’s original proposal. These adjustments were implemented to address [California’s $55 billion budget shortfall](https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4939) and maintain budget balance. Despite these cuts, total wildfire funding remained above previous levels year-over-year, with the reductions primarily affecting planned increases rather than CalFIRE’s core programs.

Ehlers pointed out that the cuts mainly affected other state departments, like conservancies and parks, rather than CalFIRE itself. For instance, funding for the Department of Conservation’s biomass-to-hydrogen pilot program was reduced from $50 million to $5 million. While CalFIRE’s portion of the Wildfire and Forest Resilience Package decreased by $30 million, it still amounted to $1.73 billion.

In total, CalFIRE’s expenditures have markedly increased, rising from $2.74 billion in 2019-20 to $4.43 billion in 2023-24, with $4.59 billion earmarked thus far for 2024-25. These estimates do not encompass additional expenses associated with the ongoing L.A. fires.

### L.A. Mayor Karen Bass and the LAFD Budget Discussion

L.A. Mayor Karen Bass has also faced criticism, having been accused of implementing a $17.6 million cut to the Los Angeles Fire Department’s (LAFD) budget. The LAFD’s [2024-25 budget](https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/lacontroller-2b7de.appspot.com/o/Press%20Releases%2F2024-25%20Adopted%20Budget%20Final_electronic.pdf?alt