In my industry when something like this happens an RCI (Root Cause Investigation) has to be done before you can move forward with your work.
I see this as no different. The CA people keep trying to say they're being criticized for how they handled the fire ... Ok, I can see that, but more importantly I see them being criticized for not doing what could have been done to prevent the fire in the first place. Or at least have had preventative measures in place to mitigate what could happen if/when a fire did break out.
I think CA needs help, but I do think there needs to be conditions on that help. There should be an RCI done and then a plan for prevention/mitigation put in place with objective milestones that need to be hit where it could trigger the release of federal funds to the state as each milestone is hit.
Just my very humble opinion. It just seems stupid to keep doing this year after year with nothing changing. I abhor seeing this compared to hurricanes. With hurricanes there are preventions taken before the storm hits, but you're not going to underbrush the ocean to preven the hurricane from coming, or getting larger. With these fires there is obviously and definitely things that could have, should have, been done to help before it became what it did!
KC