Small canvas bags that Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) firefighters used as makeshift water containers to quickly put out a trash fire have been misdescribed on social media as women’s handbags, suggesting the LAFD is under-resourced because of budget cuts and donations of firefighting supplies to Ukraine.

Yes, the Los Angeles County Fire Department donated surplus equipment to Ukraine in March 2022. On March 17, 2022, the Los Angeles County Fire Department (LACFD) announced it was donating “surplus” equipment to help first responders in Ukraine.

Comments about the donations have been shared on social media as firefighters battle multiple devastating blazes in the Los Angeles region.

Context: Los Angeles, which is about the same size as two small U.S. states, can be hard to picture. Disasters or riots might occur on one end of the city while those on the opposite end are far removed from the scene. These wildfires, though, have assaulted the metropolis as a whole.

As the U.S. battles its costliest wildfire in Los Angeles, the Biden administration plans a $500 million arms package for Ukraine before Trump’s January 20 inauguration, aiming to strengthen Ukraine’s negotiation position.

The adopted budget for the 2024-2025 fiscal year increased the amount for the fire department to $819,637,423, according to a summary on the city administrative officer's website. That meant the department's funding saw a decrease of $17,553,814, rather than almost $23 million.

Lakers head coach JJ Redick got emotional on Friday while describing losing his family's home in the Pacific Palisades to a ferocious wildfire that turned much of the Los Angeles community to ash.

Contrary to Trump's claims, a “water restoration declaration” doesn’t exist and there are no water shortages hindering firefighting efforts.

President Biden's administration says it's expanding sanctions against Russia's critically important energy sector over its war on Ukraine.

"There are not enough firefighters in all of LA County to address four separate fires of this magnitude," LA County Fire Chief said.