Mel Gibson: 'Crazy' that firefighters not informed of water issue

(NewsNation) — Film actor and director Mel Gibson and NewsNation’s Brian Entin participated in a ride-along with California first responders to survey the remains of Los Angeles area properties scorched by the devastating wildfires.

Gibson asked a first responder if his team had been informed that "the reservoir was empty." The responder explained they initially had water but ran out "fairly quickly."

"It's not uncommon for us to lose water in our firefight. It's just that early in the game was surprising," the firefighter said, to which Gibson responded "Because yeah, it wasn't there. And no one told you? That's crazy."

The first responder also told Entin and Gibson his team was equipped with "a lot of resources" to fight the devastating wildfires.

At least 25 people have died in the fires that started last week, according to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner. About 88,000 people are under evacuation orders because of the fires.

Over 12,000 structures have been destroyed in the Palisades, Eaton and Hurst fires.

Gibson's Malibu home was destroyed in the massive wildfires, which he described as “devastating”  to NewsNation’s “Elizabeth Vargas Reports” last week. 

“It’s emotional,” Gibson said. “I had my stuff there. I’ve been relieved from the burden of my stuff because it’s all in cinders.”

Gibson told Vargas that he was in Austin, Texas, appearing on Joe Rogan’s podcast when he learned the fire had broken out. He says that while speaking with Rogan, he was “ill at ease” because he’d heard his neighborhood was in flames.

“I thought, ‘Eh, I wonder if my place is still there,'” Gibson said. “When I got home, sure enough, it wasn’t there.”

Gibson noted that he was surprised by the intensity of the damage and by what seemed to be the randomness of which houses were destroyed in his neighborhood.

“(The area) was completely toasted. I’ve never seen such a complete burn,” Gibson told Vargas, saying he isn’t sure if he’ll rebuild there but that he was grateful for the generosity of those living nearby and the fact his family was safe.