A spokesperson for the Unified Teachers Los Angeles – a union representing workers in the LA Unified School District – said they believe the district has responded inadequately to the fires, adding that students were forced to show up to schools which closed immediately when they arrived.

“The continued operation of certain schools is problematic when the entire city is experiencing hazardous air quality conditions that endanger students, educators, and staff members,” a spokesperson for the organization said in a press release. “The safety and health of our community must be LAUSD’s primary consideration.”