by Tyler Durden<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With police forces overwhelmed by the enormous scope of devastation in Los Angeles County, residents are starting to take matters into their own hands, defying mandatory evacuation orders to instead guard their homes and their neighbor’s property with firearms<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As we reported yesterday, losses from the wildfires in Los Angeles county are poised to reach $250 billion<\/a> or more. Property isn’t only being destroyed — it’s also being stolen<\/strong> by brazen looters. The neighbor of one LA county resident gave a disturbing description of what was going on on their street: “There were like a hundred people that came up on scooters and were trying to get into any and all houses on this street.”<\/a><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n In response, LA County Sheriff Robert Luna has imposed a curfew<\/a>, saying, “We’re not screwing around with this; we don’t want people taking advantage of our residents that have already been victimized.” Of course, strong words are little defense<\/strong> against looters determined to prey on vulnerable innocents. Much as the bad guys ignore strong words, so too are plenty of good guys and gals who are opting to defy evacuation orders so they can secure their own property. <\/p>\n\n\n\n “I have no patience for any of [the police],” wealth-management firm president Ross Gerber told the Wall Street Journal<\/em><\/a>. “After you survive this, you don\u2019t care what they say.” Toting a firearm, Gerber has been sneaking into and out of the mandatory evacuation zone<\/strong> to check on his house. He says he’s also joined neighbors in walking the streets and questioning those they don’t recognize. <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI get that [police will] say this is \u2018the rule,\u2019 but it\u2019s our land and our neighborhood and<\/strong> as much as I respect the authorities, we\u2019re much more competent than them,<\/strong>\u201d said Gerber, who said a neighborhood WhatsApp channel has proven to be an organizational resource that’s “better than any government.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n Others are staying put in their homes, ready to use gunpower to thwart looters. “I do have firearms and I’ve been calling my friends to make sure I know how to legally exist with them,”<\/strong> Altadena resident EveAnna Manley told KTLA 5<\/a>. <\/em>She has a slogan displayed on her Starlink satellite internet receiver: “If You Are Lootin’ We Are Shootin’.” <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 30 armed homeowners in Altadena defy evacuation orders to protect their homes from looters and flare ups. pic.twitter.com\/ruVpbZEyiu<\/a> \u2014 Kevin Dalton (@TheKevinDalton) January 16, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Manley said that, in addition to looters, the defiant residents — who call themselves “the stayers” <\/strong>— are also keeping their eyes out for fire flareups. Manley says she’s helping neighbors by letting them use her shower, doing laundry for them, and even cooking bacon and eggs for them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The Stayers know that if they leave the neighborhood, they won’t be able to return, as police checkpoints are turning away anybody who tries to enter. For now, police are allowing supplies to come to the checkpoints, where stayers can receive the goods and return to their homes. Manley is grateful for the police barrier: “It\u2019s a ‘hard no’ blockade and I\u2019m glad for that.<\/strong> I want the ‘hard no’ because I don\u2019t want anyone else up here.” <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Another Altadena resident, Aaron Lubeley, tells the Journal<\/em> that he’s been keeping vigil near what’s left of this fire-ravaged property. Sleeping in his SUV, a 9mm handgun by his side<\/strong>, he’s watching his neighborhood for criminals and resurgent fires, saying it “gives me a sense of value and purpose.” <\/strong>While touring his property, he swings from a voice choked with emotion to one filled with humor — as he refers to his burned home’s new “open floor plan.” <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/assets.zerohedge.com\/s3fs-public\/styles\/inline_image_mobile\/public\/inline-images\/la-looting-arrests-96690177.jpeg?itok=91yDXLpx\")
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