NEW: Gavin Newsom disbanded a highly trained team of certified firefighters in early 2024 — a move that left his National Guard incapable of sending a complete firefighting force to Los Angeles until 10 days after the fires broke out.
This story is wild, read this🧵to the end
This story is wild, read this🧵to the end
First, some background.
The California State Guard is an all-volunteer militia force that reports directly to Newsom, its commander in chief.
In 2020, the State Guard launched Team Blaze. It was an on-call strike force staffed entirely with certified volunteer firefighters, all at virtually no cost to the state.
Team Blaze was effective. It battled the 2021 Dixie Fire, the largest single-source wildfire in California state history. The team also performed search-and-rescue missions during that fire.
The California State Guard is an all-volunteer militia force that reports directly to Newsom, its commander in chief.
In 2020, the State Guard launched Team Blaze. It was an on-call strike force staffed entirely with certified volunteer firefighters, all at virtually no cost to the state.
Team Blaze was effective. It battled the 2021 Dixie Fire, the largest single-source wildfire in California state history. The team also performed search-and-rescue missions during that fire.
Team Blaze came at virtually no cost to California.
Its certified volunteer firefighters attended regular trainings at their own expense.
An outside charity procured much of the team's firefighting equipment at no cost to the state.
California only paid Team Blaze when it was activated to fight a fire.
Its certified volunteer firefighters attended regular trainings at their own expense.
An outside charity procured much of the team's firefighting equipment at no cost to the state.
California only paid Team Blaze when it was activated to fight a fire.
But in 2023, the Newsom administration barred Team Blaze from receiving free firefighting equipment from its charitable benefactor.
You read that right: the Newsom administration in 2023 deemed it illegal for an outside charity to provide free firefighting equipment to the certified volunteer firefighters under Newsom's command.
More on this later in the thread.
You read that right: the Newsom administration in 2023 deemed it illegal for an outside charity to provide free firefighting equipment to the certified volunteer firefighters under Newsom's command.
More on this later in the thread.
In 2024, the Newsom administration shut down Team Blaze.
Team Blaze had to return its equipment to the state, most its firefighters quit, and those that remained were transferred to serve as reserves for another unit called Task Force Rattlesnake.
Team Blaze had to return its equipment to the state, most its firefighters quit, and those that remained were transferred to serve as reserves for another unit called Task Force Rattlesnake.
Task Force Rattlesnake maintains a standing force of "hotshot" Type I handcrews trained to carry out the most dangerous wildfire duties.
Type I handcrews put out wildfires where they stand, but they count on the support of Type II handcrews working behind them to prevent the fires from spreading further.
Type I handcrews put out wildfires where they stand, but they count on the support of Type II handcrews working behind them to prevent the fires from spreading further.
Team Blaze maintained a standing force of Type II handcrews.
And when the Newsom admin disbanded Team Blaze, the California National Guard was left with no standing force of Type II handcrews.
They simply didn't exist when the flames broke out in Los Angeles on Jan. 7.
And when the Newsom admin disbanded Team Blaze, the California National Guard was left with no standing force of Type II handcrews.
They simply didn't exist when the flames broke out in Los Angeles on Jan. 7.
As Los Angeles burned, the California National Guard sent 200 soldiers to Camp Roberts—situated 220 miles north of the burning city—to be trained how to perform the duties of a Type II handcrew.
Those 200 soldiers didn't arrive in Los Angeles until Jan. 17 — some 10 days after the fires broke out.
Those 200 soldiers didn't arrive in Los Angeles until Jan. 17 — some 10 days after the fires broke out.
The California National Guard posted these facts in a now-deleted Facebook post on Jan. 17.
But that's okay, because the @FreeBeacon saved the video before the Newsom administration deleted it. You can watch it here.
But that's okay, because the @FreeBeacon saved the video before the Newsom administration deleted it. You can watch it here.
The founder of Team Blaze, former State Guard commanding general Jay Coggan, said the unit could have been on the ground in Los Angeles within hours of the fire's outbreak if it hadn't been disbanded in 2024.
"Our people were already trained to do this," Coggan said. "They could have done a lot. Not only could they have responded quickly, they could have made the regular firefighters more mobile. They could have brought water up to some of the houses and the hills. They could have rescued people. There’s a lot they could have done."
"Our people were already trained to do this," Coggan said. "They could have done a lot. Not only could they have responded quickly, they could have made the regular firefighters more mobile. They could have brought water up to some of the houses and the hills. They could have rescued people. There’s a lot they could have done."
Team Blaze's days were numbered after Newsom appointed Major Gen. Matt Beevers to serve as acting Adjutant General of the California National Guard in August 2022.
Beevers was no fan of Coggan, allegedly referring to him as a "kike lawyer" during a private June 2022 conversation I reported last year.
freebeacon.com/california/thi…
Beevers was no fan of Coggan, allegedly referring to him as a "kike lawyer" during a private June 2022 conversation I reported last year.
freebeacon.com/california/thi…
Beevers cut a critical line of funding for Team Blaze in January 2023, issuing a ruling prohibiting it from accepting "gifts" from the California State Guard Foundation.
The foundation was a charity run by Coggan that provided firefighting equipment for the force and covered the training costs for its volunteers — no strings attached and all at no cost to the state.
That Beevers ruling can be read in full below.
The foundation was a charity run by Coggan that provided firefighting equipment for the force and covered the training costs for its volunteers — no strings attached and all at no cost to the state.
That Beevers ruling can be read in full below.
The "gifts" from Coggan's charity include a $13,600 payment in December 2022 to cover the cost to train Team Blaze firefighters to operate its five firefighting engines.
Here's the invoice for that charitable "gift."
Here's the invoice for that charitable "gift."
To Beevers, "gifts" such as these were illegal.
The Cal. National Guard told me last year that the State Guard, and by extension Team Blaze, "had previously accepted funds illegally" from Coggan's charity.
"This practice was stopped by Major General Beevers," they said.
The Cal. National Guard told me last year that the State Guard, and by extension Team Blaze, "had previously accepted funds illegally" from Coggan's charity.
"This practice was stopped by Major General Beevers," they said.
Let that sink in: The Newsom administration is proud that it barred a charity from providing free firefighting training and equipment to the certified volunteer firefighting force that Newsom once commanded.
Beevers, in his January 2023 ruling, said the State Guard and Team Blaze could only convey contributions through a separate fund he controlled.
But not long after, the Beevers-controlled fund refused to accept a $137,680 contribution from Coggan’s charity to finance a scheduled training for members of Team Blaze and the State Guard.
Details on that training and what it aimed to accomplish in the screenshots below.
But not long after, the Beevers-controlled fund refused to accept a $137,680 contribution from Coggan’s charity to finance a scheduled training for members of Team Blaze and the State Guard.
Details on that training and what it aimed to accomplish in the screenshots below.
This training was supposed to improve California's "ability to respond to State emergencies."
But it had to be cancelled after Beevers and the Newsom administration refused to accept the funds.
Coggan explained why he had to cancel this training in the letter below.
But it had to be cancelled after Beevers and the Newsom administration refused to accept the funds.
Coggan explained why he had to cancel this training in the letter below.
Now, the Newsom admin says Team Blaze was ineffective because it had "little to no funding for equipment and maintenance."
That's because Beevers and the admin deemed it illegal for Team Blaze to receive free financial assistance from its charitable benefactor.
That's because Beevers and the admin deemed it illegal for Team Blaze to receive free financial assistance from its charitable benefactor.
Coggan, who retired from the State Guard in May 2023 after Beevers blocked his charity from providing free firefighting equipment to Team Blaze, said he could have had a standing force of 1,000 firefighters by now if he had support from the Newsom administration.
All the details on this and more at the link below.
@FreeBeacon w/ @SusannahLuthi
freebeacon.com/california/gav…
@FreeBeacon w/ @SusannahLuthi
freebeacon.com/california/gav…
Newsom's response. Ignores all the facts we reported and instead attacks me personally.
https://x.com/GovPressOffice/status/1882911199760638037
California National Guard also responded. My response to that 👎
https://x.com/AndrewKerrNC/status/1883200993262809358
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