Actor Mel Gibson joins a long list of elite residents who have accused elected officials of mishandling Los Angeles fires.
Gibson, who lost his home during the crisis, lashed out at California Gov. Gavin Newsom in an exclusive interview with Fox News contributor Raymond Arroyo.
"Well, at first I thought it was, 'Oh my gosh, bad luck, tragedy.'" But then I realized, this was huge mismanagement by our elected officials; that's the best thing you can say ,” Gibson said on the debut episode of the “Arroyo Grande & Raymond Arroyo” podcast.
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"Fugitive Risk" director Mel Gibson says he doesn't "trust" California Governor Gavin Newsom and elected officials amid the Los Angeles fires. (Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
While the Oscar-winning filmmaker detailed how he was personally affected by the Los Angeles fires, a video played in the aftermath of the disaster as his home was reduced to ashes.
Gibson expressed dissatisfaction with Newsom's plan even as California's governor called for significant changes in wildfire suppression and prevention.
"As citizens here, Newsom and (Los Angeles Mayor Karen) Bass, they want us to believe that they can reimagine this city, our city, and how they think it should be. I mean, look Everything they’ve done so far to this town,” he said.
“We have nothing but rampant crime, severe homelessness, high taxes, poor water management, firefighters, cuts to department funding and we should trust them with millions of dollars to transform the places we live? This is what we 's city, it's a people's city, they have another plan...and people from the Woolsey fire are still living in trailers...when have you ever seen a government that "build back better" is insensitive?"
Mel Gibson's Malibu, California, home was destroyed in the Palisades Fire on Friday. (MEGA/GC image)
On January 7, a large-scale fatal fire broke out in the Los Angeles area. Tens of thousands of residents had their homes and businesses destroyed and were forced to flee their homes.
The Fugitive director said the destruction of his home in the fire may have been preparation for his film The Resurrection, describing the burning house as a "cleansing".
"But then I started to realize that this was huge mismanagement by our elected officials; that's the best thing you can say about it."
"It was a weird mixture of sadness...a weird realization and blessing...because I thought they were just things...I would miss something. There was something valuable...something personal, and it made me Heartbroken. ... I feel like I'm being stripped away and prepared for other things... It may be very personal, but I feel like God Almighty is preparing me for something big," he explain.
The Fugitive director compared the loss of his home to his film The Resurrection, describing his burned-down house as "cleansing." (MEGA/GC image)
Gibson is gearing up for his new role in The Resurrection of Christ. The film is a sequel to his 2004 film The Passion of the Christ.
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The actor-director went on to explain why the timing for the film's release 20 years later is "perfect."
"Society is... evolving... and we need to remind people... that the very basic things that make up our civilization... are under threat," he said.
Gibson also told Arroyo that mismanagement by elected officials is another reason Americans continue to flee the city.
In an exclusive interview with Fox News contributor Raymond Arroyo, Mel Gibson details the lessons his tragic experience with fires and natural disasters has taught him. (MEGA/GC image)
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"A lot of people are mentally broken. It happens, and then it happens again. And then you realize the leaders you elected... you don't trust them... could it happen again? A lot of people just want to leave and move on,” Gibson commented.
"People have been leaving the state in droves... They're going to Texas, Idaho, South Carolina... to get away from the political and social climate that's developed here, and they don't like it. … … They want to go somewhere where they feel like they’re free Americans, and that’s ‘too hard of a basket.’ … We have to look for something else.”
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Celebrities including Justin Bateman have called for Newsom and other Los Angeles officials to be removed from office over the fires.
The governor's office previously shared a letter addressing the fire hydrant shortage, stating that "while Southern California's overall water supply is not an issue, water mobility in the initial response is an issue."
"This is why @CAGovernor Newsom ordered a comprehensive, independent review of LADWP. This can't happen again," the post read.
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Actor Mel Gibson told California Governor Gavin Newsom to "spend less" on hairspray as fires rage across Los Angeles County. (Getty Images | Fox News)
Meanwhile, Gibson continues to detail the lessons his tragic experiences with fires and natural disasters have taught him.
Mel Gibson's new film "Flight" is scheduled to be released on January 24th. (Chris Pizzero)
"One has to rely on oneself and one's neighbors... family and friends - your community... come together. Let your voices be heard... because it's clear... our elected officials - I don't think they give a damn... They don’t really do a lot of that…trusting God…that’s hard to do when your heart is on fire,” he said.
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Gibson's new film "Flight Risk," starring Mark Wahlberg, Michelle Dockery and Topher Grace, is set to be released on January 24.