The wildfires that devastated parts of Los Angeles have left deep scars on one of the world’s most iconic cities. …the images of multimillion-dollar mansions and landmarks reduced to ashes serve as a sobering reminder: The ravages of climate change are indiscriminate and increasingly relentless …Tech billionaire Elon Musk, …has joined the far right in blaming the promotion of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) for the mass destruction by suggesting the Los Angeles Fire Department compromised its ability to fight the fires because it “prioritized DEI over saving homes” — a thinly veiled criticism levelled against the hiring of women and minorities. But that ignores the real issue — a $17.4-million budget cut that has severely constricted operations, even as demand for fire and emergency services has surged. Such pejorative remarks also serve to mask that up to 30 per cent of the crews fighting wildfires in California are made up of the state’s prison inmates.