Fire Crews Ready Despite Shutdown
As Santa Ana winds pick up, residents of Los Angeles County are concerned the government shutdown will affect emergency responses to fire warnings.
The National Weather Service has issued a red flad warning in LA county that will take effect starting at 9 p.m. Thursday and will continue through Sunday at 6 p.m. Santa Ana winds are prompting the warning, and nearby Ventura County is expected to receive the brunt of the seasonal gusts.
Although a shutdown has put more than 800,000 federal employees on shutdown, the L.A. County Fire Department - a county-funded department - is not affected, said the department's spokesman Inspector Tony Akins.
And as for National Forests, U.S. Forest Service fire crews remain on the job. The federal government classifies the Forest Service as an essential, exempting it from furlough.
Fires have already been contained in Glendora and San Bernardino since the shutdown began on Tuesday.