Billionaire developer Rick Caruso was personally affected by the fires that broke out in early January in the Pacific Palisades.

He says he and his family lost multiple homes but felt extremely blessed to have escaped unharmed.

What You Need To Know

  • As news of the alleged lack of preparedness for both the Palisades and Eaton fires came to light, Caruso became fiercely critical of the city’s response

  • In a special edition of "LA Stories," Caruso tours the area surrounding his Palisades Village property, which was largely unaffected due to its fire-resistant materials

  • Caruso said he felt called to help after seeing the devastation of both the Palisades and Eaton fires, and created his new nonprofit organization, Steadfast LA

  • While some say Caruso is making a political move, he said it’s not — to him, it’s just the right thing to do

As news of the alleged lack of preparedness for both the Palisades and Eaton fires came to light, Caruso became fiercely critical of the city’s response — and did not hold back his frustration with what he has called borderline negligence.

“The reservoirs went dry. The fire hydrants didn’t work. We have an underfunded fire department,” he said. “The city should have been ready.”

In a special edition of "LA Stories with Giselle Fernandez," Caruso tours the area surrounding his Palisades Village property, which was largely unaffected due to its fire-resistant materials.

He also hired private firefighters and water trucks to help defend the village.

When Fernandez noted the criticism he received for that move, he defended his actions, saying he could afford it and by using his own firefighters, he freed up resources for the fire department — and also offered them support by loaning them his water trucks when their water ran dry.

Caruso believes Mayor Karen Bass should take responsibility for this lack of water and dry vegetation — and for leaving Los Angeles just before the fires.

“The buck stops at the mayor’s office,” he said. “If you want to be a leader, the first thing you do is be present and be on the ground. And she should have never left.”

Bass defended her actions, saying no one informed her of the incoming winds. She also fired LAFD Chief Kristin Crowley, stating she allowed 1,000 firefighters to go home the morning of the fire — a move Caruso calls "blame passing."

Caruso said he felt called to help after seeing the devastation of both the Palisades and Eaton fires and created his new nonprofit organization, Steadfast LA. With the help of other private donors, he has vowed to help the people of Los Angeles rebuild.

He recently announced the first initiative of the organization: constructing modular houses for those who lost their homes but can’t afford to rebuild right now.

While some say Caruso is making a political move, he said it’s not. To him, it’s just the right thing to do.

“This community is going to rebuild and we’re going to do the same in Altadena,” he said. “There’s a silver lining and a blessing somewhere, and we’re going to work towards that.”