Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass faced backlash for traveling to Ghana for a presidential inauguration while wildfires devastated her city. Although she had warned of severe weather conditions, many Angelenos criticized her for prioritizing the trip over local emergencies. Upon her return, she was confronted by reporters seeking answers about her absence during the crisis and proposed budget cuts to the fire department. As wildfires ravaged neighborhoods, evacuations ensued, affecting residents and destroying celebrity homes. Amidst the chaos, firefighters struggled with dwindling resources while Bass thanked first responders on social media, further aggravating public anger toward her leadership.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass stood stone-faced and refused to answer questions from reporters for two full minutes after leaving the country as deadly wildfires raged through the city.
Furious Angelenos accused the city’s mayor of traveling to Ghana while the city was burning, even though he had given plenty of warning for “severe” weather conditions for several days.
Ms Basu flew out of the country on Tuesday to attend the West African country’s presidential inauguration, after meteorologists warned that a “recipe for fire” was underway to hit Los Angeles.
The mayor attended the inauguration of the new president and met with the country’s first female vice president.
When she returned home with her assistant, she was cornered at the airport by Sky News journalist David Blevins, but both refused to answer his questions.
Bass quickly turned away, saying he had no intention of answering any questions.
Mr. Blevins then asked her a series of questions, to which she did not answer.
“The fire chiefs are saying they are really exhausted and running out of water, so what do they say?” Is there no response? ”
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass stood stiff-faced and refused to answer reporters’ questions for two full minutes after leaving the country as wildfires raged in the city.
“Do I have an obligation to apologize to the public for being absent while my house was on fire?”
“Mrs. Mayor, do you regret cutting the fire department by millions of dollars?” Don’t you have nothing to say today? ”
Bass tried to cut the Los Angeles Fire Department’s budget by about $23 million in 2024, but settled for a $17.6 million cut.
“Elon Musk says you are totally incompetent, but have you considered your position?” Have you nothing to say to the public dealing with this disaster? Don’t they have an apology? ”
“Do you think I should have visited Ghana while this was happening in my home country?”
Blevins then chased the bus down the airport hallway and demanded that city residents make a statement. Again, she ignores him.
The bus then walks out the door and onto the tarmac.
“The City of Los Angeles is providing supplies and shelter to the thousands of families affected by this horrific fire as this emergency continues. Thank you to our brave firefighters and first responders who are working aggressively to combat this emergency.”
Ms Basu flew out of the country on Tuesday to attend the West African country’s presidential inauguration, after meteorologists warned that a “recipe for fire” was underway to hit Los Angeles.
Furious Angelenos accused the mayor of traveling to Ghana while the city was burning, despite having given ample warning of “severe” weather conditions for days in advance.
Media outlet INKL News reported on Wednesday morning that Basu was returning home after being sworn in by Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama the previous day.
Bass posted updates on his X account, thanking Los Angeles Police Department firefighters fighting the ongoing fires and sharing information about emergency shelters.
A California wildfire broke out Tuesday evening near a nature preserve in the inland foothills northeast of Los Angeles.
It spread so quickly that staff at the senior living center had to push dozens of residents in wheelchairs and hospital beds to parking lots down the street in an apocalyptic scene.
The 102-year-old resident waited in his bedclothes as the night sky glowed red with flames and embers fell all around him, waiting for an ambulance, bus or even a construction van to arrive and take him to safety. Ta.
Another fire several hours earlier struck the city’s Pacific Palisades district, a coastal hillside area dotted with celebrity mansions.
In a rush to get to safety, many people abandoned their cars and fled on foot, some carrying suitcases, making roads impassable.
Traffic was so congested on Palisades Drive that emergency vehicles couldn’t get through, and a bulldozer was brought in to push abandoned vehicles aside and create a path.
Hollywood’s biggest names are picking up this movie as the California wildfires sweep through the Pacific Palisades, reducing their wealthy neighborhoods to ashes and rubble.
The historic death toll now stands at five, with heroic firefighters still battling hellish conditions on the front lines of at least five different fires.
The homes of Anthony Hopkins, John Goodman and Miles Teller were also destroyed, and dozens of other stars now wait anxiously with their neighbors to find out if anything can be salvaged.
On Tuesday, an apocalyptic fire tore through the luxurious enclave of Pacific Palisades and quickly spread to the surrounding suburbs as rainstorms carried embers and debris in all directions.
As news trickles in that entire roads are being wiped off the map, firefighters are running out of water and resources are being diverted to fight fires on multiple fronts, residents are evacuated and forced to watch more of their homes. I waited with bated breath to find out.
