California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass tour the downtown business district of Pacific Palisades as the Palisades Fire continues to burn on January 9, 2025, in Los Angeles, California. Eric Thayer/Getty Images
CNN
As the most destructive fire in Los Angeles area history rages, Mayor Karen Bass faces criticism over the timing of an overseas trip and budget cuts made months ago that affected the city’s fire department.
L.A. residents awoke to an inferno that has claimed at least five lives and forced tens of thousands to flee their homes. Firefighters and first responders are struggling to contain five fast-moving wildfires that have scorched over 25,000 acres and destroyed nearly 2,000 homes, businesses and other structures.
The Palisades Fire erupted around 10:30 a.m. PT on January 7, while Bass was in Ghana attending the inauguration of President John Dramani Mahama as part of a US presidential delegation. The trip, announced by the White House earlier this month, coincided with the fire’s rapid expansion, fueled by intense winds that temporarily prevented aerial firefighting efforts.
The National Weather Service in Los Angeles had issued numerous warnings about dangerous weather conditions, including destructive windstorms, in the days leading up to the fire, said Ariel Cohen, a meteorologist with the agency.
“This is an event that had exceptionally long lead times, not only of the powerful windstorm that we anticipated but also the potential for a particularly dangerous situation, red flag warning, fire weather conditions,” Cohen said.
Rick Caruso, a real estate developer and former mayoral candidate, criticized Bass for her absence, saying, “This is an absolute mismanagement by the city and I’m going to be very honest, we’ve got a mayor that’s out of the country and we’ve got a city that’s burning.”
“This was a disaster waiting to happen and what’s predictable is preventable and who’s paying the price is all these people and their homes tonight,” Caruso told Fox 11.
On Thursday, Bass emphasized the “unprecedented” nature of the fires and defended her leadership during the crisis. She insisted her “number one focus” is protecting lives and saving homes.
“Rest assured when that is done, when we are safe, when lives have been saved and homes have been saved, we will absolutely do an evaluation to look at what worked, and what didn’t work, and to correct – or to hold accountable – anybody, department, individual, etcetera,” Bass said.
“But my focus right now is on the lives and the homes.”
Bass in ‘constant contact’ with teams
It is unclear when Bass was informed about the fires and decided to return to California.
But on her return Wednesday, Bass was confronted at the airport by a Sky News reporter, who asked if she owed Angelenos an apology for her absence during the fires.
A stone-faced Bass refused to answer as the reporter followed her down the gangway.
Bass had left Los Angeles City Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson as mayor pro tempore in her absence.
At a news conference Wednesday morning, Harris-Dawson acknowledged the work of the first responders doing “heroic work in the face of grave danger.”
“Last night was one of the most devastating and terrifying nights that we’ve seen in any part of our city, at any part of our history,” he said.
On Wednesday night, Bass told reporters she had been in “constant contact” with local, federal, and county officials marshaling the response to the fires as she made her way back to the United States.
“I took the fastest route back which included being on a military plane which facilitated our communications. So, I was able to be on the phone the entire time of the flight,” Bass said, adding she also had phone access during her commercial flight “like most people do.”
“I was on the phone on the plane almost every hour of the flight. So, although I was not physically here, I was in contact with many of the individuals that are standing here throughout the entire time when my flight landed, immediately went to the fire zone and saw what happened in Pacific Palisades.”
CNN reached out to her office asking if they considered delaying her trip to Ghana due to the weather conditions.
Will Adams watches as flames from the Palisades Fire close in on his property.
People drive out of harm’s way as the Palisades Fire burns nearby.
The sun rises over the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles on Thursday, January 9. The area has been devastated by the Palisades Fire.
