'A wake-up call': Comedian Jeff Dye plans to leave LA after Newsom's 'scary' handling of wildfires

AUSTIN, TEXAS: Comedian Jeff Dye has joined the growing trend of entertainers leaving Los Angeles after the recent wildfires in the city, which, according to him, served as a wake-up call.

He said that he’s buying a house in Texas, citing both the state’s leadership under Governor Gavin Newsom and what he calls a poor response to the fires as key factors behind his decision.

Jeff Dye blames Gavin Newsom for the wildfires

During his appearance on ‘The Joe Rogan Experience,’ on November 2, Dye revealed he was buying a house in Texas after becoming deeply concerned by the direction California was taking under the leadership of Newsom. 

"I’m kind of in this kind of LA thing, and I could be guilty of being a victim of what I’m absorbing in my algorithm. But Gavin Newsom scares the s*** out of me and I don’t want to be a part of it," Dye said. 

He also mentioned the government’s response to the fire that devastated parts of the city in January as his reason. 

"Those fires were quite a wake-up call," he said. "Even if, you know, whatever you believe about the fires, the way it was dealt with was pretty scary." 

"It was not competent, that’s for sure," Rogan agreed. "Even the aftermath," Dye added.

Failure in managing LA wildfires

Over 55,000 acres were scorched in the LA fires, destroying more than 16,000 buildings and causing at least 29 deaths.

The two largest fires were the Palisades Fire, which burned 6,837 buildings and killed 12 people, and the Eaton Fire, which decimated 9,414 buildings and claimed 18 lives. 

Both Newsom and LA Mayor Karen Bass faced immediate backlash over the management of the fires.

According to the critics, despite recurring wildfire risk, authorities did nothing in advance to mitigate the danger. Among the issues raised were water supply problems and the fact that firefighting resources were being stretched or compromised. 

Many residents and local authorities have voiced frustration over the slow recovery after the fires, citing bureaucratic challenges, significant delays with permitting, insurance disputes, and infrastructure concerns.

Joe Rogan left LA for Austin

Rogan, who left LA for Austin in 2020, explained, "When the shit started getting weird in LA and they were burning cop cars on the freeway, that's when daddy was like, I got to get out of here."

"My kids were little, 10 and 12 at the time. I thought, 'This is dangerous,' and we all agreed it just doesn't feel right. I don't feel like they're gonna open this up. I think this is bulls***. Let's get the f*** out of here."

Rogan spearheaded the migration to the new comedy mecca of Austin with the launch of his club, the Comedy Mothership.

Over 817,000 people left California from 2021 to 2022, according to recent census data cited by Business Insider.