Video News Clips: In Their Own Words

Raincoat-Clad Bootlicker Pulls Down Rose Parade Sign Demanding Accountability For Deadly Wildfires

Rose Parade Float Calls For Fire Investigation [Screenshot/Fox 11/"Good Nite LA"]

A bystander wearing a raincoat at the 2026 Rose Parade was seen pulling down a sign demanding that California Attorney General Rob Bonta investigate last year’s deadly Eaton Canyon fire.

Pasadena, California, held its annual Rose Parade on New Year’s Day, featuring celebrities, performances and flower-covered floats. During the parade, a float titled “Rising Together” appeared on screen, with two people on the float holding a sign aimed at Bonta.

“AG Bonta Altadena Demands An Investigation,” the sign read.

Those holding the hand-drawn sign were waving Altadena flags and smiling toward the crowd. However, a bystander wearing a raincoat was seen jogging up to the float, with others trailing behind.

The bystander then took the sign, crumpled it up and placed the discarded display back onto the float.

The float, which featured an image of a phoenix rising from a bed of sunflowers, was co-sponsored by the California Community Foundation and the Black Freedom Fund. The display served as a tribute to the 31 residents who lost their lives in the deadly 2025 Los Angeles County wildfires and honored the “resilience and strength of the more than 13,000 families who lost their homes.”

When asked about a response or potential investigation, Bonta’s office told the Daily Caller News Foundation that it could not comment, even to confirm or deny, on potential or ongoing investigations.

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One of Altadena’s deadliest fires broke out in Eaton Canyon nearly one year ago, just hours after the Pacific Palisades also erupted in flames. With thousands of homes burned to the ground, the fire resulted in the deaths of 19 residents.

Confusion over how the Eaton Fire began and why it spread so rapidly grew after homeowners were able to survey the full destruction days later. While some residents fled, others, including a group on Boston Street, stayed behind and helped save an entire block of homes from being burned.

Following the disaster, multiple lawsuits were filed by Altadena residents against Southern California Edison, alleging the utility’s operations helped spark the fire.

In response to the sign’s removal, attorney Shant Karnikian, who represents hundreds of Eaton Fire victims, told FOX11 the sign was a simple request.

“The Attorney General has the power to investigate whether it’s public officials, whether it’s charitable organizations. It’s not an unreasonable request. It’s nothing crazy. It’s nothing far fetched,” Karnikian said.

However, not everyone on the float agreed with the message. Fire survivor Jim Cragg, who was seated on the float at the time, told the outlet that he did not believe it was the “right time” to make the statement.

“A big concern is donors backing away, and when the donors that are bringing hundreds of millions of dollars potentially to our people in need see that and they close the checkbook, that’s hurting our population,” Cragg said.

In contrast to the Eaton Fire, the Palisades Fire received substantial media spotlight. Victims have spoken out against Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Democratic Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass. Republican Sens. Rick Scott of Florida and Ron Johnson of Wisconsin in September launched a Congressional investigation into the deadly fire in the Pacific Palisades.