Once Upon A Time

By W. F. Twyman, Jr.

“How many Black people have been Mayor of LA? How many Black Mayors have there been in the history of LA? How many Black Mayors have there been in the history of LA?” — Activist Marc Lamont Hill, “Woefully Incompetent” LA Wildfires. Galvin Newsome Crisis and DEI, Piers Morgan Uncensored, January 13, 2025. See 28:25 to 28:36

On July 1, 1973, a competent man took the oath of office as Mayor of Los Angeles. He knew that along with the office came the heavy duty of responsibility in a wildfire zone. Citizens looked to the Mayor for leadership and vision when it came to the elements, the embers of Santa Ana winds, the currents of fiery destruction in the night. A nation’s eyes were upon the new Mayor.

Mother Nature came at the new Mayor within months.

On October 30, 1973, a raging fire tore down the Topanga Canyon. Malibu was imperiled. 2800 acres were burned away. “Some residents tried to protect their homes from the fire by clearing their space, but their homes still burned. Haldis Toppel, a resident who moved to the Pacific Palisades in 1973, said that her home burned even though she cleared her property. She said that the vegetation was the issue, and that the canyon next to her accumulated brush that caught fire.”

The new Mayor made a note to himself. “The canyon next to her accumulated brush that caught fire.”

Five years later, the Santa Ana winds returned to Malibu. This time, it was the Kanan Fire. The year 1978. 25,000 acres were burned and 230 homes were destroyed. Thankfully, only two people lost their lives. “The Kanan fire in 1978 exploded at the staggering rate of 167 acres per minute, burning homes to the ocean from its origin in the Malibu hills.” Do you see a pattern here? The usual suspects?

The Mayor made the executive decision to prevent these fires at the source, if possible. “In April 1981, the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) established the Brush Clearance Unit to coordinate and conduct inspection sweeps of the Mountain Fire District (now known as Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones, or VHFHSZ). This unit was responsible for identifying properties with hazardous vegetation and ensuring compliance with clearance regulations to reduce wildfire risks.”

The prime directive was to be prepared. Clear the flammable brush away. Plan and be proactive.

From 1981 until his term ended on June 30, 1993, the Mayor led hard with this lens of fire prevention. Remove the flammable brush became the mantra out of the Mayor’s office. The Mayor charged ahead with a three-prong attack. First, “Increased Clearance Distances: In April 1997, shortly after (the Mayor’s) administration, Section 57.322.1 of the Los Angeles Municipal Code was amended to increase the required clearance of hazardous vegetation to a total distance of 200 feet from any structure, unless otherwise specified by the Fire Chief. This amendment also added criteria for maintaining landscape vegetation to prevent it from serving as fuel for fires.” Second, “Inspection Fees: In February 1999, Section 57.21.07 of the Los Angeles Municipal Code was amended to establish a fee for inspections of properties in Los Angeles to determine compliance with brush clearance regulations.” Third, “Public Awareness and Enforcement The (Mayor’s) administration emphasized public education regarding the importance of brush clearance and enforced compliance through inspections and penalties for non-compliance. These efforts aimed to reduce fire hazards by ensuring that property owners maintained their land in accordance with safety standards.”

Common sense campaign against a common enemy of wildfires.

I am not a fire control expert. Far from it. I can read, however, as my Mom would often say. And what I read tells me that the Mayor faced financial pressures beyond his control. Proposition 13 in 1978 forced a 25% cut in the city budget. Department resources were cut, including the Fire Department. The Mayor was forced to do more with less.

His record speaks for itself.

Mother Nature did not relent. On October 9, 1992, the winds of destruction returned in the canyons. The fires returned to Malibu. This time, the “Dayton,” fire swept through the Malibu Canyon Corridor. 44,000 acres blazed away. 15 homes in Paradise Cove destroyed. No fatalities.

There were smaller fires over the course of the Mayor’s administration. And yet the Mayor gained the upper hand with his consistent, non-stop campaign of public awareness, public education and enforcement. One could not prevent forest fires but one could mitigate the harm with brush removal.

Fast forward to today. Over 12,000 structures have been burned to the ground. 24 people have died. Fire prevention and control has declined since the Mayor of 1973 to 1993. Who was this competent Mayor who protected Los Angeles despite severe budgetary pressures in 1978?

How did Mayor Tom Bradley lead in the face of property damage? Mayor Bradley instilled trust among the people as he was a man of thought, preparedness and planning. As you listen to this press conference below, the Mayor is confronted with property damage in South Los Angeles, burned out buildings. Observe how the Mayor trained in the law communicates with self-assuredness and empathy. He recognizes as a lawyer that the City has no legal obligation to those who have lost all. The City could turn its back on those who lost everything. Instead, the Mayor recognizes a moral obligation more pressing than a legal obligation. He speaks firmly into the camera. He does not become mute in the face of a question. One senses the presence of a leader, not an avatar for a group. “We’re doing this because we think its right, not a matter of some law forcing us to do so.” Those are words of a leader whom people will fall behind. He answers short questions in long-form. No notes, no teleprompter.

Once upon a time, such a man led our nation’s second largest city. I doubt activist Marc Lamont Hill ever learned this Black American History. What a shame when we lose memory of our past.

Mayor Tom Bradley (1973-1993)