Comedian Bill Burr didn’t hold back during his appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live Tuesday night, taking aim at unqualified critics of Los Angeles’ response to the devastating fires that recently ravaged the area.
The 56-year-old stand-up star began by praising those on the front lines, saying, “Everybody did a great job” in combating the fires, which included major blazes in Pacific Palisades and Altadena. “These guys were out there, clearing the trees and getting the wires back up and everything,” he applauded, and added, “It was like the perfect awful thing that could have happened, and it did.”
Burr’s frustration, however, was directed at so-called “fire experts” on the internet, mocking their attempts to outsmart local officials. “Why didn’t you just fly a helicopter into the ocean? And then just, fu***ng,” he said in a mocking tone before dismissing the idea. “I don’t know, because there were 100-knot winds? You wanna do that at night? You fu***ng lunatic.”
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The first night of the fires saw wind speeds reaching 80–100 mph, creating dangerous conditions for low-flying planes or helicopters attempting to extinguish the flames. Burr also ridiculed social media claims suggesting firefighters should have used Pacific Ocean water.
“Dropping massive amounts of seawater would have destroyed the land by salting it and possibly even tainted the groundwater,” Burr noted.
Burr repeatedly mocked and shut down online commentors
He also mocked online commentators, reciting one comment, “This was definitely mismanaged” to which Kimmel piped in “That’s a big word we’re hearing now.”
“Mismanaged?! Like some f***ing idiot on the internet knows how to manage the worst fire in LA, sitting there in his underwear,” Burr mocked earning laughs from Kimmel.
Burr revealed his family had to evacuate their home but was fortunate the house was spared due to shifting wind patterns. While Burr owns a two-seater helicopter, he joked that it wasn’t an option to escape. “I didn’t want to have a ‘Sophie’s Choice’ situation,” he said, so they “piled into the SUV like everybody else.”
The comedian also bashed conspiracy theories claiming homeless people started the fires. “They light fires every day! They’re living outside,” he joked. Burr mocked the idea that a homeless person traveled from Altadena to Pacific Palisades without a vehicle, sarcastically asking, “Did he have a hang glider?”
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Instead, the fires are under investigation, with Edison International facing scrutiny over claims that a downed conductor may have sparked the flames. Burr criticized media outlets like CNN for focusing on arson rumours while ignoring the role of insurance companies. He pointed out that some companies cancelled policies in fire-prone areas, leaving homeowners unprotected.
The LA fires have claimed at least 25 lives and forced over 180,000 people to evacuate, making Burr’s passionate defence of the fire response a poignant reminder of the challenges faced by those on the ground.