Caitlyn Jenner has blamed poor land management by California officials for the wildfire crisis still menacing the state.
The Olympian accused the forestry service of ‘hypocrisy’ by insisting homeowners clear their properties of undergrowth, while leaving their own lands to grow wild.
The comments came as millions of Southern Californians were on edge as winds began picking up during a final round of dangerous fire weather forecast for the region Wednesday where two massive blazes have killed at least 25 and destroyed thousands of homes.
Jenner shared a photo showing how her property backs on to overgrown public lands, which she branded ‘a major liability’.
‘My 13-acre property in Malibu backs up to CA state land (circled in red). Notice the difference between my grounds keeping and the states?’ Jenner wrote on X.
‘No under brush or forest management by the state on their lands- providing a plethora of fuel for wildfires. No underbrush on my land.
‘The only reason my home survived the last round of fires was because of the ground clearance we are mandated to do.’
She went on to claim having state lands on her boundary is ‘dangerous and a major liability’ as the forestry service ‘don’t follow any standards or provide ground clearance the way they force their over taxed citizens to’.
‘We have extremely high property taxes and are held to high standards of ground clearance to prevent fires from spreading. CA=HYPOCRISY’ Jenner fumed.
However, the California State Parks Department told the DailyMail.com on Wednesday that they are ‘unable to confirm from the picture whether that land belongs to California State Parks.’
Yet, CALFire’s website indicates that homeowners are required to keep 100 feet of ‘defensible space’ by removing potentially flammable growth.
The first 30 feet must also be totally clear of dead or dry vegetation and space must be created between trees.
However, it warns that in some counties the requirements are even stricter. For example, in San Diego homeowners must totally clear the first 50 feet.
While many agreed with Jenner, some suggested that fire proofing in at-risk areas is a responsibility that should be born by homeowners who choose to live there.
‘Should taxpayers be forced to foot the bill to keep homes safe for the wealthy elites who choose to live in these ultra fire prone hills in the most fire prone state?’ One person wrote.
‘Because you choose to live in these areas with gorgeous land and views we have to provide infrastructure like sewers, roads, water systems, emergency services, and now expensive fire prevention measures—all funded by taxpayers who may never set foot in your exclusive neighborhood.
‘Why should the average citizen, struggling to make ends meet in a modest home, be responsible for subsidizing the luxurious lifestyles of those who knowingly choose to build in high-risk areas?’
But Jenner hit back stating that: ‘the state should maintain its lands’.
‘It’s a basic service- forest management- all of the taxes paid by ‘we the people’ already pay for and must demand from our leaders,’ she said.
The Fox News contributor confirmed that her $3.5 million Malibu home is safe and unaffected by the fires.
Thousands of other Californians have not been so lucky, including some celebrity neighbors.
At least 25 people have been killed and more than 12,000 structures destroyed in an estimated $40 billion of damage as a result of the fires.
Firefighters in the Golden State could could encounter fire tornadoes, a rare but dangerous phenomenon in which wildfires create their own weather.
A day after firefighters got a reprieve with lighter winds than expected, gusts were hitting up to 35 mph [56 kph] on the coast and valleys and 55 mph [88 kph] in the mountains before dawn, National Weather Service meteorologist Todd Hall said.
More than 120,000 customers lacked electricity Wednesday afternoon in the Los Angeles metropolitan area.
Nearly 100,000 of those were customers of Southern California Edison energy company in Ventura, Los Angeles, San Bernadino and Riverside counties.
‘Our thoughts are with everyone impacted by the extreme weather event,’ the utility said on its website.
The company on Wednesday afternoon said on social media it had completed 100 percent of the damage assessments for non-fire areas where it was safe to do so.
After the assessments, repairs are prioritized based on conditions, and the time needed will vary depending on the extent of the repair work required, the post said.
‘Due to unsafe conditions, restoration may take longer than usual,’ the company said.
The Particularly Dangerous Situation Red Flag Warning expired Wednesday afternoon, but dry conditions and locally gusty winds will linger into Thursday – especially in some mountain areas, the National Weather Service in Los Angeles said.
Winds peaked before 3 p.m. Wednesday and will continue to lessen into the evening.
Red Flag Warnings remain in effect due to locally strong northeast to east winds and low relative humidity in much of Los Angeles and Ventura counties and parts of San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties until 6 pm Wednesday.
In the Santa Susana Mountains, Western San Gabriel Mountains and Interstate 5 corridor, Red Flag Warnings remain in effect through 3 pm Thursday, the weather service said.
