Lars Larson: California blocks, delays Oregon fire help

By Lars Larson
NW and national radio host,

The Northwest Nonsense

Dozens of fire engines from the Pacific Northwest were delayed for hours on their way to fires in Los Angeles.

My talk show broke that news last Wednesday.

Outraged firefighter families and one fire CHIEF alerted me to the delay.

Cal Fire ordered a mandatory inspection stop in Sacramento, for hours: if fire engines failed, they could be turned back.

I called and emailed the State Fire Marshall to find out why and ask, were the delays responsible.

The state fire marshall refused to answer then went into spin mode.

Someone on social media, not me, claimed the stops were due to emissions testing. I never reported that. But the state fire marshal’s office decided it was easier
to shoot down THAT straw man than to answer the delay question.

Saturday, I got a call from Elizabeth Shepard in the Governor’s office…first time I’ve heard from an Oregon Governor since Barbara Roberts in 1995.

I suggested to Shepard that Governor Kotek come on and answer the questions firefighter families have been asking.

Instead, OSFM spun its own story. That suggests to me that even THEY think the delays were foolish and unnecessary. But they don’t want to say it outloud because that would be one democrat Governor making another democrat look bad.

A state representative joins me at noon to talk about it…even if Tina Kotek won’t.

That’s the Rose City Rap. Join me at noon on KXL for 4 hours of Honestly provocative talk. I’m Lars Larson