Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley warned Mayor Karen Bass just weeks ago that the nearly $18 million slashed from the fire department’s budget would impact its response to emergencies like this week’s deadly wildfires.

Seven months before the uncontrolled Palisades Fire in Los Angeles, the city's fire department budget for this fiscal year was cut by more than $17.5 million, records show.

The deadly fires in Los Angeles are forcing tens of thousands more residents from their homes as firefighters struggle to bring the blazes under control.