Patricia Heaton criticized California leadership for failing to respond adequately to the Los Angeles fires.
Heaton, in partnership with LA Dream Center to assist residents in need, expressed disappointment in the lack of preparedness by city officials and questioned the allocation of taxpayer funds in an interview with Fox News Digital.
The “Everybody Loves Raymond” star called for reform following the challenging experience.
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Patricia Heaton criticized the government’s response to the Los Angeles fires. (Getty Images)
Heaton detailed the lack of readiness in Los Angeles for the fires that started on Jan. 7 in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood. Subsequently, numerous fires have ravaged different parts of the city, resulting in the destruction of thousands of homes and businesses. The actress stressed the importance of proper forestry management and reservoirs filled with water.
“I know some of the officials were saying, ‘Well, the system was overwhelmed.’ Well, in case of a huge fire, of course it’s going to be overwhelmed,” she told Fox News Digital. “You should know that and have been prepared for that. So, I think there’s a lot of money spent in L.A. and we can’t figure out where it’s going.”
WATCH: ACTRESS PATRICIA HEATON SAYS WE ‘CAN’T RELY ON THE GOVERNMENT’ AFTER LA FIRES DESTROY CITY
Heaton emphasized that California residents cannot solely depend on the government for assistance.
“It’s people coming together in your community and insisting on getting stuff done. And sadly, this is a very, very, very harsh lesson.”
“But I guess that’s what it takes to kind of break apart that bureaucracy and get the stuff done that the government is supposed to do, which is take care of the infrastructure first and foremost,” Heaton said.
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Patricia Heaton relocated from Hollywood to Nashville. (Getty Images)
Heaton is collaborating with LA Dream Center to provide disaster relief efforts, and she is not alone. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Kathie Lee Gifford, and Chris Pratt have all contributed necessary items or funds to the charity working to assist those impacted by the Los Angeles fires.
“They’ve stepped up. They’ve showed up. We’ve had advocacy,” Matthew Barnett, founder of LA Dream Center, told Fox News Digital about the celebrity support. “We have people like Snoop Dog the other day – like I’ve never met in my entire life – but he did a whole minute and a half, like, Instagram post of me just talking.”
Matthew Barnett, founder of LA Dream Center, told Fox News Digital that Dwayne Johnson, Kathie Lee Gifford, and Chris Pratt have all donated to LA Dream Center to help with fire relief efforts. (Karwai Tang/WireImage | Getty Images)
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The LA Dream Center typically serves as a resource center focused “on providing support to those affected by homelessness, hunger, and the lack of education” through community programs, according to the website.
The charity has switched gears as multiple fires continue to burn in Los Angeles.
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Patricia Heaton is known for her role in the TV sitcom “Everybody Loves Raymond.” (Richard Hartog/Los Angeles Times)
Although Heaton once resided in Los Angeles, she believes that moving to Nashville, Tennessee, was the correct decision for her.
“My four sons still live in L.A., and we go back to hang out and take meetings,” she told Fox News Digital. “And we have many friends there and are doing business there, but Nashville seems to be welcoming a lot of people from our industry. So I’m not the only one that made this decision.”
“It is filling up,” Heaton noted. “And I have a feeling after this fire we’re going to get another huge amount … of talented, creative people who have decided, you know, they’ve had enough and are ready to live in a beautiful place with friendly people and where they can be creative without worrying about houses burning down and taxes going up and crime and all that stuff.”
Heaton has assisted friends in Los Angeles who had to evacuate and has opened her home in Nashville to those looking to “get out” of the city.
