“So sad”: IndyCar trailblazer Danica Patrick shares her feelings over massive fires in California

Former IndyCar and NASCAR star Danica Patrick has shared her concern over the growing California wildfires. Massive fires started engulfing parts of Los Angeles at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, January 7, and worsened over time, forcing over 100,000 residents to evacuate.

The natural disaster unfolded on a great scale over nearly 25,000 acres of land, intensified by the Santa Ana winds, which reached speeds of over 70 mph. Over 1000 properties were destroyed. Celebrities like Paris Hilton and Billy Crystal lost their homes to the fires. BBC identified at least six fires raging in LA, in Palisades, Eaton, Hurst, Woodley, Olivas, and Hollywood Hill.

Firefighters on the scene reported at least five deaths and the mass evacuation caused heavy traffic jams. Patrick reshared a heartbreaking video of the disaster posted by WSJ on her Instagram story and wrote:

"So sad. Shouldn't California be more ready for this situation? wtf?"

A still from Danica Patrick's Instagram story (@danicapatrick)

Patrick also reshared a post by @wearebreitbart which reported that Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass had cut the fire department's budget by nearly $20 million in 2024. The fire budget was reportedly channeled to the Los Angeles Police Department.

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Danica Patrick questions California's management of L.A. wildfires

Danica Patrick at the F1 Grand Prix of Mexico - Qualifying - Source: Getty

According to U.S. private forecaster AccuWeather, the Los Angeles wildfires will cost at least $50 billion in damage and economic loss to the state. US President-elect Donald Trump blamed California Governor Gavin Newsom's policies for failure to contain the disaster.

Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social:

"Fire is spreading rapidly for 3 days — ZERO CONTAINMENT. Nobody has ever seen such failed numbers before! Gross incompetence by Gavin Newscum and Karen Bass….And Biden’s FEMA has no money — all wasted on the Green New Scam! L.A. is a total wipeout!!!"

Danica Patrick, who supports Trump and cast her first-ever vote for him in the 2025 presidential elections, questioned the California government's use of water reservoirs to combat the fires in a tweet:

"California has 840 miles of coast line and 3,000 lakes and reservoirs. Why don’t they have enough water to fix any and all fires? At some point I have to imagine it’s getting difficult for hardcore cali lovers to accept the state of their state and how it’s managed."

Patrick has taken an active political stance since mid-2024, after her first real brush with it at the TPUSA America Fest in 2023. On the motorsport front, she wrapped up her duties as an F1 analyst for Sky Sports at the 2024 F1 season finale in Abu Dhabi in early December.