A Santa Monica traffic warden has been struck after he appeared to issue parking tickets as the Los Angeles wildfires continue to devastate the area.
In a clip posted to
In the background, dark gray smoke billows menacingly through the air.
Desperate residents have evacuated the area in recent hours, with the parking attendant sparking outrage over the seemingly insensitive act amid the devastating fire.
The video, which has been widely shared online, claims to have been recorded on January 7, 2025 at 3:15 p.m.
“The world is literally on fire around us and the SMPD is still handing out street sweeping tickets,” says user Suzi Mellano wrote.
Shocked users shared their thoughts online – although it is not yet clear whether the video is legitimate.
“This is a perfect example of life in LA,” one user stated.
In a clip posted to
“This is so on brand omg,” another scathingly responded.
Others suggested it could have been for the greater good.
“As much as I hate parking enforcement, and I hate them a lot, maybe it’s to keep the streets clear in case emergency vehicles need to enter those areas,” one man commented.
“They only get tickets if they are parked illegally.”
“Are they parked in front of a fire hydrant, though?” asked another.
DailyMail.com has contacted the City of Santa Monica for comment.
In recent days, images of cars left on the road as desperate residents fled the area have been widely shared online.
clips shared by NBC journalist Katherine Picazo earlier this week on X showed a bulldozer clearing the roads by pushing abandoned vehicles into piles near Sunset Boulevard.
The clip comes as desperate residents try to evacuate the area, with parking attendants sparking outrage over their seemingly callous act, amid LA’s devastating fires
In the background, dark gray smoke billows menacingly through the air
Shocked users shared their thoughts online, with mixed reactions
Los Angeles firefighters battled a massive blaze that broke out Tuesday evening near a nature preserve in the inland foothills northeast of LA.
Evacuation warnings have already spread to the Malibu and Calabasas areas.
Tankers full of water spent all afternoon yesterday pumping out the inferno, but all aircraft were later grounded due to deteriorating wind conditions and visibility.
Less than 48 hours after the initial spark, the wildfire is on track to become the most destructive fire ever recorded. The fire destroyed the glitzy mansions of celebrities and caused an estimated $48 billion in damage.
After years of severe drought, dozens of “atmospheric rivers” (long, narrow bands of water vapor in the atmosphere) flooded California with record-breaking rain in the winter of 2022-2023, according to experts at UCLA.
Desperate residents have evacuated the area in recent hours due to the fire
After a second wet winter in Southern California in 2023-2024, last year brought a record hot summer.
The combination of wet and warm conditions encouraged the growth of more vegetation, and with the 2025 rainy season off to a record dry start, that greenery is ‘tinder dry’.
The Santa Ana winds then fanned the flames through this dry vegetation, leading to the out-of-control fires.
Vast swaths of iconic real estate in California, from Malibu to Santa Monica, and from Pacific Palisades to Runyon Canyon, are burning – impacting millions of people caught off guard by the unprecedented spread and carnage.
As of Thursday morning, the largest inferno consumed nearly 40,000 acres in the picturesque Pacific Palisades neighborhood, home to many film, television and music stars.