While seemingly unstoppable, the Palisades fire, which began on Tuesday and has devoured homes, businesses, schools, and other structures alike, appears to have left the Palisades Village, an outdoor mall developed by Rick Caruso, largely untouched, reported SF Gate.
It appears the mall may have survived because Caruso, the former president of the Department of Water and Power who unsuccessfully ran for mayor in 2022, did not leave the structure's fate up to the city, whose mayor, Karen Bass, has been gallivanting around Africa and whose fire department recently had its budget cut while prioritizing diversity over quality.
According to the New York Times, Caruso had a team of private firefighters deployed in the area Tuesday night to protect the mall, which he owns, as well as nearby houses.