Heartbreaking moment LA firefighter boss breaks down in tears in burned ruins after warning about threat for YEARS
THIS is the heartbreaking moment a LA firefighter chief broke down in tears on live TV after he warned about the threat of a deadly blaze for years.
Freddy Escobar - a 35 year veteran of the department - blamed a lack of money and resources as he stood among charred rubble and remains.
The Los Angeles United Firefighters president broke down as he revealed he sent warning messages before the deadly inferno broke out.
Escobar's ominous words, from a commissioners meeting a month ago, were recalled to him buy CNN journalist Kyung Lah.
At the meeting, Escobar said: "It's dire, someone will die."
The fire chief told the CNN journalist: "It's eerie listening to your words because that's what occurred."
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"So, it's - let me just take a minute, sorry. You're not supposed to make me cry."
Escobar choked up before he emotionally turned away from the cameras to cry.
He then said: "This is a woefully understaffed fire department.
"We're either going to have a fire department that reflects 2025, or we're going to have a fire department that's going to reflect the 1960s."
This heartbreaking interview came after it came out that the LA Fire Department refused to deploy 1,000 firefighters ahead of the inferno that tore down the Palisades area.
Officials reportedly decided to staff just of the more than 40 engines available to them on Tuesday January 7, according to the .
What started the LA fires?
FIERCE and desperate questions into how these devestating wildfires could have ripped through Los Angeles to this extent have been raised.
extent have been raised.
These terrifying blazes started on Tuesday morning in the ultra-wealthy Pacific Palisades neighborhood.
It is feared this deadly inferno could have been sparked by fireworks.
A small blaze caused by fireworks on New Year's Day left scorch marks, according to .
Analysis of satellite images, radio communications, and videos revealed the deadly inferno began in an area close to where these fireworks flames were put out.
Residents claimed they were frustrated by an apparent slower response by firefighters to the second blaze.
Local Michael Valentine said he and his wife were home for both fires and claimed he was met with a long wait when they called the emergency services on Tuesday.
Crews were reportedly stuck dealing with two other incidents in different areas of the city.
Experts have claimed the perfect mix of strong winds and drought conditions could have caused the slight remnants of the previous fires to restart.
Investigators have launched a probe to investigate the cause of the devastating blaze but they have not revealed an official cause yet.
Hurricane-force winds and peak dryness allowed the fires to burst into a deadly and uncontrollable inferno.
A trail of destruction was left behind in the celebrity-packed neighborhood.
Major stars like Paris Hilton and Anthony Hopkins lost their mansions in the blaze.
WIDESPREAD DISASTER
The Pacific Palisades has not been the only part of LA to be destroyed by these horrifying fires.
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Blazes also ignited in Hurst, Eaton, Kenneth, Lidia and Sunset.
The Eaton and Hurst fires are still going and the Palisades Fire is only 14 per cent contained.