FDNY chiefs tour LA wildfire devastation to learn lessons for fighting NYC blazes

Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News on Jan 26, 2025

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A group of FDNY fire chiefs toured the devastation left behind by the Los Angeles wildfires last week, learning valuable lessons on fighting and preventing brush fires in New York City.

“It was dramatic … overwhelming,” FDNY Chief of Department John Esposito told the Daily News, recalling the miles of scorched earth and destroyed homes in the areas affected by L.A.’s Palisades and Eaton fires they saw during their three-day fact-finding trip. “There were blocks and blocks of devastated homes and burned-out cars, then one house or two in the middle were untouched. You just can’t explain it.”

Esposito, Chief Fire Marshal Daniel Flynn, and Chief Joe Duggan, the FDNY Brooklyn Borough Commander, were hosted by the Los Angeles County Fire Department, who shared their experiences on how they and other fire companies tried to contain and put out the massive fires.

“I would put it on par with New York after 9/11 with all the resources being used in the recovery and the togetherness it builds with everyone trying to help,” Esposito said.

Looking over the damage, Flynn remembered Rockaway’s Breezy Point after Hurricane Sandy, when a widespread fire consumed 100 homes.

“The size of the fires was unbelievable. They were almost post-apocalyptic,” Flynn said of the L.A. infernos. “We wanted to get their perspective on how they handled that. We wanted to see what lessons we could learn to better equip ourselves against brush fires here because they are the experts in their craft.”

As of Friday, the Palisades fire on the LA County coast was 79% contained at 23,448 acres, according to NBC News. The Eaton fire in the Altadena area was 95% contained at 14,021 acres.

The two wildfires, which erupted on Jan. 7 about 40 miles apart, are the second- and third-most destructive fires in California’s history and killed 28 people, officials said. California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Friday that the state will spend $2.5 billion to help the Los Angeles area recover.

Esposito and his team spoke to the firefighters who battled the blazes and looked over equipment, including specially designed emergency pickup trucks that can bring gallons of water to the heart of a wildfire — something large fire engines and pumper trucks can’t do.

Everything Esposito’s team learned will be of great value to the FDNY’s new brush fire task force, which was put together to combat the stunning rise in brush fires across New York City fueled by last year’s extensive drought.

“We like to learn from other places that have had large-scale incidents,” Esposito said. “In 2017 we went to the Grenfel Tower fire scene in London and were able to learn a lot. We wanted to use that model here.”

After their visit, the chiefs made it a priority to upgrade the task force’s equipment and enroll some of its members in wildland firefighting training.

“Any time there is a massive fire emergency, it is imperative that FDNY senior staff get on the ground quickly to help where needed and also to observe and learn about what we can do if we encounter similar circumstances,” FDNY Commissioner Robert Tucker said. “The department in LA was a gracious host and even in their time of need extended hospitality and appreciation to our members. Our delegation of chiefs learned many lessons from them and we wish them luck as they sort through this unthinkable devastation.”

Last year’s drought helped fuel 271 brush fires across New York City in the first two weeks of November, from easily extinguishable flareups to massive blazes like the one that destroyed four acres of Manhattan’s Inwood Hill Park. Burning trees collapsed around firefighters as they fought the blaze through the night, lugging hose lines from the nearby Harlem River.

Earlier that month, firefighters in Brooklyn battled back-to-back blazes in Prospect Park, which will need several seasons to recover, members of the Prospect Park Alliance said.

Learning how firefighters battled wildfires on the West Coast will definitely give members of the brush fire task force a leg up as they prepare for October, one of the driest months of the year in New York City.

“It’s an anomaly until it happens every year,” Esposito said about the high number of brush fires in the city last year. “You can only say you were surprised the first time.”

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