Ukraine Offers To Send Firefighters To California As Fire Response Flounders

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy offered to send firefighters from his country to Los Angeles Sunday as California continues to fight an uphill battle to contain the inferno.

Zelenskyy instructed his government to prepare 150 firefighters for “possible participation” in taming the Los Angeles fires, he announced on X Sunday. As of Monday, the fires have only been partially contained, claiming the lives of 24 people and scorching of over 37,000 acres of land, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE).

“Today, I instructed Ukraine’s Minister of Internal Affairs and our diplomats to prepare for the possible participation of our rescuers in combating the wildfires in California,” Zelenskyy announced on X. “The situation there is extremely difficult, and Ukrainians can help Americans save lives. This is currently being coordinated, and we have offered our assistance to the American side through the relevant channels. 150 of our firefighters are already prepared.”

None of the three major fires have been fully contained, with the Palisades fire only 14% contained, the Eaton fire 30% contained and the Hurst fire 89% contained as of Jan. 13, according to CAL FIRE. Additionally, some criminals are taking advantage of the chaos to loot houses, prompting Newsom to deploy the National Guard Jan. 9, according to a press release.

The Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) donated