June 1, 2025 The Best Source of News, Culture, Lifestyle for Culver City, Mar Vista, Del Rey, Palms and West Los Angeles

Bonin Introduces Legislation Following Mandeville Fire

Councilmember Mike Bonin with LAFD firefighters on May 28 at the Mandeville Canyon fire.

Councilmember Mike Bonin was at the command post during the Mandeville Fire on the Sunday of Memorial Day Weekend (May 28), where he learned that half of the helicopters in the Los Angeles Fire Department’s fleet were grounded because of a maintenance backlog when the fire broke out, burning up to 55 acres in Brentwood’s Mandeville Canyon. LAFD was also simultaneously fighting a fire in Sylmar.

Of the four water-dropping helicopters in the department’s fleet, only two were operational. The others were “receiving maintenance and due back soon,” LAFD spokesman Jeremy Oberstein said.

Los Angeles City Council members said the reduced number of helicopters may have hampered the response to the fires. Because of the shortage of available helicopters, the Fire Department couldn’t tackle both fires “simultaneously,” City Council members wrote in a motion introduced on June 1.

The council motion demands answers from the General Services Department, the city agency that maintains the Fire Department’s fleet as well as helicopters for the Water and Power and Police departments.

Bonin said he wants to find out what the General Services Department’s “priorities are, how they triage, what gets fixed and in what order. I want to know if they have the ability to use overtime to get some stuff done more quickly – and they’re not using it,” he said, “or whether or not they need more money.” The department didn’t argue for more funding during recent budget discussions, he said.

Bonin and the two other council members supporting the motion, Mitchell Englander and Bob Blumenfield, are calling for the General Services Department to give a report within two weeks detailing the maintenance status of the Fire Department’s helicopter fleet and staff’s ability to meet maintenance needs.

The motion also instructs General Services to report how the Fire Department’s helicopter fleet backlog compares with the maintenance status of helicopters fleets for the Los Angeles Police Department and the Department of Water and Power.

The motion’s authors said that with fire season starting, the Fire Department’s helicopters need to be at full capacity as soon as possible.

The Public Safety Commission will take up the motion.

Related Posts

Defensible Space, Defined: How A Plus Tree Protects Communities from Wildfire

May 30, 2025

May 30, 2025

In the wildfire-prone landscapes of the Western United States, safeguarding homes and communities requires proactive measures. A Plus Tree, a...

WeHo Pride Weekend Begins and 2025 Icons Announced: Parades, Concerts, and Community Celebration Kicks Off

May 30, 2025

May 30, 2025

Three-Day LGBTQ+ Festival Features Performances by Lizzo, Maren Morris, and Kim Petras West Hollywood is preparing to kick off its...

Palisades Village to Reopen in 2026 with Revamped Retail, Dining, and Community Spaces

May 29, 2025

May 29, 2025

Elysewalker Set to Return With Park Reconstruction, Holiday Events, and Streetscape Upgrades Palisades Village, the open-air shopping and lifestyle destination...

Bel Air Seventh Grader Reaches Finals of Scripps National Spelling Bee

May 29, 2025

May 29, 2025

Oliver Halkett of Mirman School Competed on Thursday for a $50,000 prize Thirteen-year-old Oliver Halkett, a seventh grader from Mirman...

(Video) Signs That Your Aging Loved Ones Are in Need of Caregiving

May 29, 2025

May 29, 2025

To Find Out More, Go To Safelyhomeagain.com To Find Out More, Go To https://t.co/ZCPyKHj5aq pic.twitter.com/cDTEPjfA6s — Westside Today (@WestsideLAToday) May...

Two Men Charged in Culver City Kidnapping and Robbery After Victim Forced to Withdraw Cash

May 29, 2025

May 29, 2025

Suspects Allegedly Abducted Man at Gunpoint, Drove Him to Multiple Banks  Two men have been arrested and formally charged in...

Salt & Straw Unveils Summer Pie Series with Five Seasonal Ice Cream Flavors

May 29, 2025

May 29, 2025

Five New Flavors Inspired by Classic Summer Pies Will Be Introduced Salt & Straw is giving summer a scoopable twist...

(Video) Interviews with Rick Caruso and Elyse Walker, with a Dennis Quaid cameo

May 28, 2025

May 28, 2025

We spoke at the Press Conference to announce plans to reopen Palisades Village Shopping Mall. Actor Dennis Quaid arrives to...

Levain Bakery Debuts ‘Levain à la Mode’ with Local Ice Cream Partners for Summer

May 28, 2025

May 28, 2025

Seasonal Offering With Wanderlust Creamery is a First in Cookie Shop’s History For the first time in its three-decade history,...

Beverly Glen Sixth Grader Advances to Finals of National Student Cook-Off

May 28, 2025

May 28, 2025

Twelve-Year-Old Heads to Virginia to Compete in K12 Culinary Competition Abijah Levy Minor, a 12-year-old student from Beverly Glen, has...

Sarah Paulson to Host Charity Bingo Night for Pasadena Humane Society on June 5

May 28, 2025

May 28, 2025

Evening of Food, Wine, and Live Music to Raise Funds for Animal Rescue Efforts Emmy-winning actress Sarah Paulson will host...

Bay Cities Italian Deli Responds to Health Code Closure, Commits to Corrective Action

May 28, 2025

May 28, 2025

Santa Monica Landmark Disputes Rodent Claims but Acknowledges Violations Bay Cities Italian Deli, a Santa Monica staple renowned for its...

Film Review: Bring Her Back

May 28, 2025

May 28, 2025

By Dolores Quintana Grief is the price of love.  Danny Philippou and Michael Philippou’s second feature film, Bring Her Back,...

County Assessor Stresses Need For Fire-Affected Households to Update Addresses to Receive Relief Checks

May 28, 2025

May 28, 2025

Assessor’s Office Offers Automatic Tax Relief for Fire-Affected Homeowners Following the destruction caused by wildfires earlier this year, the Los...

Caltrans Schedules Public Meeting for $143.7 Million I-405 Rehabilitation Project

May 28, 2025

May 28, 2025

Virtual Forum Set to Brief Residents on Upcoming Construction The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) will hold a virtual public...