Podcast Summary: The Fame Game with Heidi & Spencer

Episode: One Year After the Fires: Spencer For Mayor, What's Changed, and What’s at Stake Now with UFLAC President Freddy Escobar

Date: January 8, 2026
Hosts: Spencer Pratt, Heidi Montag (in absentia, wrangling kids) & Studio71
Guest: Freddy Escobar, President of UFLAC (United Firefighters of Los Angeles City)

Episode Overview

This anniversary episode marks one year since the devastating Lockman (Palisades) Fire. Spencer Pratt, now a mayoral candidate and fire survivor, and special guest Freddy Escobar—a 36-year LAFD firefighter, marine veteran, and President of UFLAC—take a raw, unsparing look at the failures, political cover-ups, and what needs to change in Los Angeles. The conversation focuses on firefighting resources, homelessness, political leadership (particularly Mayor Karen Bass), funding issues, and the path forward for both fire policy and city accountability.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Emotional Impact and Failures Post-Fire

• Immediate Reaction: Escobar expresses grief, anger, and shame over both the devastation and the lack of rebuilding a year later, emphasizing the emotional toll on families.
  “I am lost for words on what you're personally going through and what everybody who's affected by this, it's just, it's wrong." (02:24, Escobar)
• Empathy Void: Spencer notes that Escobar was the only public official visibly grieving and caring in media, which built trust.
  “…you were crying and you were like the only person…that was truly feeling what was happening and not just like, you know, a talking head…That video made me just trust your heart.” (03:18, Spencer)

2. Political Leadership & Systemic Issues

• Karen Bass' Leadership Critiqued:
  • Bass is accused of being disengaged during the initial crisis, prioritizing international travel and downplaying imminent disaster.
    “She wanted to go to Africa because obviously going to Africa is more fun than…doing your job…” (07:40, Spencer)
• Chief Crowley Firing: Fire Chief Crowley was ousted after calling out underfunding and warning about structural risks—pointing to a culture hostile to whistleblowing.
  “She called out Mayor Bass and she got fired…That alone…If that's a reason. I think we have an issue with Mayor Bass not knowing winds are coming.” (05:34, Escobar)

3. Fire Department Underfunding & Staffing Crisis

• Systemic Neglect:
  • LAFD is still recovering from hiring freezes under Mayor Villaraigosa (no hires for 5 years; department now has fewer firefighters and stations than in 1960). (15:28, Escobar)
  • Current department is “less than 1960” staffing; should be double the size.
• Budget Cuts and Pay Paradoxes:
  • Lower-level firefighters are denied overtime or vacation due to budget squeezes, while chiefs rack up large paychecks by working extra shifts (with high divorce/mental health tolls).
    “…the boots on the ground, they're exhausted from working...but there's not enough staffing. And, again, goes back to Villaraigosa.” (18:45, Escobar)

4. Homelessness, Drugs, and Public Safety

• Homelessness Is Lucrative for NGOs:
  • Billions “supposed to” fund housing are instead propping up nonprofit salaries, with little improvement visible on the streets.
    “It's going into the pockets of the NGO, you know, organizations to the salaries these people. And they don't want that to stop.” (10:35, Spencer)
• Increasing Crime and Danger:
  • Firefighters report rampant open drug use, crime, and encampments in their station districts (e.g., Boyle Heights, MacArthur Park, Skid Row).
    "I worked at Fire Station 11...in the middle of MacArthur Park...My cousins can't even go to the 711 because it's too dangerous." (11:39, Escobar)
• 2026 World Cup & Olympics Concerns:
  • Escobar bluntly says LA is unprepared for these major events due to chronic underfunding of police, fire, and general services.
    “If I was a betting man, I’d vote no. We’re not properly funded…the money is misused at the local level.” (12:43, Escobar)

5. The DEI Debate & Experience Drain

• Senior Talent Loss:
  • A wave of experienced firefighters (“gray beards”) recently retired, leading to a dangerous loss of institutional knowledge.
• Affirmative Action & DEI Critique:
  • Escobar is critical of DEI initiatives as implemented, saying they undermine the value of minority and female firefighters who earned their place, and that best-fit hiring is needed.
    “You're taking away the credit of...people that have proven themselves...” (24:00, Escobar)

6. The Lockman Fire: Lessons Unlearned

• Lack of Wildfire Experience:
  • Some LAFD responders had never fought a wildfire in a state park; structural fire expertise isn’t enough.
• After Action Reports Tampered:
  • A reputable chief’s honest report was altered and his name redacted to shield higher-ups from accountability.
    “He asked his signature to be redacted. So there's an issue there because the leaders don't want to know the truth.” (28:14, Escobar)
• Political, Not Legal, Cover-Up:
  • LAFD enjoys legal immunity, so secrecy or denials are PR/politically motivated to protect reelection prospects, not out of fear of lawsuits. (31:12, Spencer)
• Fear of Retaliation:
  • Officials and even boots-on-the-ground firefighters fear telling the truth due to career reprisals—exemplified by Chief Crowley's firing.
    “The biggest takeaway is that this command structure is set up where the truth can't be told, even when they were there, because [they fear] retaliation.” (37:35, Spencer)

7. Environmental Policies & State Park Mismanagement

• Obstruction by State Parks:
  • Fire crews were hampered by environmentalist restrictions on using dozers or even seeing “secret” maps of protected areas—despite imminent risk to homes.
• Dead Brush Returned after Fire:
  • After firebreaks were cut, State Parks replaced dead brush over them—contradicting their own safety manuals.
    “So no. This is a day after the fire. It's still smoldering and they're adding brush back on.” (65:24, Spencer)

8. City Funding Measures & Tax Proposal

• Proposed Half-Cent Sales Tax:
  • UFLAC and LAFD are pushing a November ballot measure for a dedicated half-cent sales tax explicitly locked to fire department funding, buildings, equipment, and staffing—insulated from political siphoning. (35:56 – 36:00, Escobar)

9. Political Landscape and Mayoral Candidacy

• Spencer’s Mayoral Campaign Launch:
  • Spencer Pratt declares his run for mayor, citing Bass’s lack of accountability and the need for transparent leadership. “At the one year anniversary of the Palisades fire, I will be announcing that I am running to replace Mayor Karen Bass of Los Angeles... My goal is to call her out and get her out of office and let her retire and she can become a podcaster.” (57:34, Spencer)
• Union Endorsements:
  • Escobar outlines the often “rigged” nature of union and political endorsements but insists UFLAC interviews all candidates openly.
• Call for Moderation:
  • Both advocate for a return to centrist, common-sense leadership focused on results, not “jersey politics.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• (02:24, Escobar):
  "I've never been at war. But speaking to your staff, this is what it looks like. And it's shameful that there's not enough building going on.... I'm lost for words on what you're personally going through and what everybody who's affected by this, it's just, it's wrong."

• (39:01, Escobar): "They shut me up. The problem that they didn't realize is don't piss off a Marine. I'm going to come out, I'm going to be vindicated."

• (54:29, Escobar):
  “It's difficult. It's money, right? It's money that you, you go in there. So the unions endorsed. They got LA County Federation...they use money to push their candidates through.”

• (65:24, Spencer):
  "This is a day after the fire. It's still smoldering and they're adding brush back on [to the firebreaks]."

• (57:34, Spencer):
  “At the one year anniversary of the Palisades fire, I will be announcing that I am running to replace Mayor Karen Bass of Los Angeles…”

Important Timestamps & Segments

• [02:24] - Emotional toll of the fires; leadership failures
• [05:34] - Systemic underfunding and political scapegoating (Crowley firing)
• [12:43] - Olympic & World Cup readiness; city services under strain
• [18:45] - Firefighter pay, overtime, staffing crisis
• [23:46] - DEI controversies and knowledge drain
• [28:14] - After action report cover-up, tampered findings
• [35:56] - Dedicated tax proposal for LAFD
• [37:35] - Culture of retaliation and fear in LAFD
• [54:29] - How union/political endorsements work and why it’s “rigged”
• [57:34] - Spencer’s announcement: running for mayor
• [65:24] - State Parks adding brush over firebreaks post-fire

Tone & Style

The episode is confrontational, impassioned, and deeply personal. Spencer is unscripted, direct, and often angry; Escobar is blunt and brings frontline authority. Both use humor and raw honesty, with occasional expletives ("No shit", "Bullshit", "Don't piss off a Marine", etc.). They repeatedly stress a need for “truth,” “common sense,” and direct, unvarnished talk about leadership failures, policy misdirections, and the toxic role of machine politics.

Final Takeaway

This episode is a call to arms for Angelenos facing the intersections of disaster recovery, political inertia, and public safety breakdown. Spencer’s mayoral run aims to break through what both see as a corrupt, unaccountable system. Escobar’s on-the-ground insights reinforce the urgency for real reform—a better funded fire department, a sane approach to homelessness and drugs, and leadership driven by service, not next-step career ambitions.

For those who couldn’t listen:
This is essential, cathartic listening for anyone who cares about LA’s future, accountability in local government, or the real state of disaster response in a city staring down both literal and political fires.