California's Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a pay raise for the state's firefighters, months after catastrophic fires in Los Angeles County caused billions of dollars in damage.
In early January, large fires swept across Southern California. burning thousands of acres in several cities and forcing hundreds of people from their homes. During the crisis, Newsom was criticized for his leadership. On Friday he published letter to the California State Assembly, saying Assembly Bill 1309 would “create significant cost pressures for the state.” (RELATED: Los Angeles Fires 'Lightning Speed' Restoration Moves at a Snail's Speed)
“This bill would require the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection to pay firefighters up to 15 percent of the average salary of their respective ranks in certain local fire departments. This measure would also require an annual study of salaries and benefits for fire chiefs in five specified fire departments,” Newsom wrote.
“While I appreciate the author's intent, this bill would create significant cost pressure for the state and bypass the collective bargaining process. State employee wages, along with other compensation components such as health care and retirement benefits, must be determined through collective bargaining,” Newsom added. “Setting a statutory minimum wage for employees of one department undermines this process, harming both the state and other bargaining units.”
Assembly Bill 1309, presented In February, in a bipartisan measure, Republican California Assemblymember Heath Flora demanded that the state pay firefighters in State Bargaining Unit 8, employed by the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, within 15% of the average salary of comparable positions in California's 20 chartered fire departments.
The bill would also require the Department of Human Resources to conduct and report to the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, by January 1, 2027, a study of the previous year's salaries and benefits for fire chiefs in California's five designated fire departments.
After the fires caused at least $250 billion in damage, both Newsom and Democratic Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass faced strong criticism from residents and Republican legislators. While officials vowed to help residents return and rebuild, many have since spoken out about the slow pace of government assistance.
An aerial view of properties damaged by the Eaton Fire during recovery efforts on September 19, 2025 in Altadena, California. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
During a news conference with President Donald Trump and other state leaders in January, including Bass, Trump pushed back at the mayor, saying Pacific Palisades residents shouldn't wait for government help to fix their homes.
Even though some nine months have passed since the disaster, residents continue to struggle with the slow pace of recovery. One Pacific Palisades resident said The Los Angeles Times reported in August that the process of returning home had been far from straightforward, forcing her to contact insurance agencies, contractors and testing specialists who did not provide clear answers.
In September report from consulting firm McChrystal Group on behalf of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, the group found that Los Angeles County's response to the fires was hampered by key factors, including staffing shortages, outdated policies, inconsistent practices and communication failures.
An analysis by the Bay Area News Group also found that the Los Angeles Fire Department has less than one firefighter per 1,000 residents – with a staffing rate of just 0.90. according to at GovTech. San Jose Fire Capt. Jerry May told the publication in January that his city not only has “the lowest staffing levels of any metropolitan area in the U.S.” and “one of the busiest in the country” but is also “severely short-staffed.”
In January, the state Senate Republican caucus released press release highlighting GOP efforts to prevent such disasters even as Newsom and Bass emphasize their focus on recovery. According to the report, between 2003 and 2024, Republicans introduced 72 wildfire-related bills covering the California Environmental Quality Act, insurance, public safety, tax incentives and wildfire prevention. Only 16 of them became law, and the rest failed, were suspended or vetoed by three governors, including Newsom.
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