Actor Stelio Savante said he was left “seething” after seeing how some California leaders reacted to deadly wildfires that have been ripping through the Los Angeles area.
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“[It has been] awful, unfathomable, unrecognizable,” Savante said of the dire situation on the ground. “I have friends who’ve lost homes that they built with their children growing up in them that have burned to the ground. So many people have lost so much.”
Fires aren’t rare in California, but he said the scope of this inferno is unique.
Savante, whose new film, “Between Borders,” hits theaters Jan. 26, expressed frustration over what he sees as ill-prepared leadership.
“It’s a destruction — I’ve never seen anything like it,” he said. “But I’m also honestly disgusted at the lack of preparation. We prayed for water for so many years in California. It was wasted. We have not been prepared with our firefighter shortages.”
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Savante said he was left infuriated after seeing some politicians’ reactions to important questions.
“Our politicians are not monarchs,” he said. “They’re not Kings or Queens. They are public servants. They seem to forget that very easily.”
As for the actor, he and his family are just miles from the blaze and were scrambling Thursday, when a false alarm evacuation call came through. Fortunately, they were able to stay in their home, where they remain amid uncertainty.
Despite the chaos, Savante praised the first responders.
“The firefighters have done an extraordinary job,” the actor said. “I don’t know where we’d be without them right here, because the state has let them down. It’s not empowered them with the tools they need.”
Ultimately, the performer said he’s hoping people see God and truth in the midst of pain.
“Hopefully, we will rebuild and there is a chance and hope for people whose hearts are softened to come to understand that you cannot lean on man, that life is hard, but that there is an afterlife,” he said. “And there is someone that has made that afterlife possible through His sacrifice of dying for our sins.”
Savante said the crisis has axed all barriers, including financial status, race, and religious background, as so many people across Los Angeles are united in pain and suffering. With that in mind, he encouraged people to pray.
“Prayer is the greatest thing we could ask for,” Savante concluded.
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