LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 17: Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass speaks to journalists in a press conference to announce Steve Soboroff to lead L.A.’s wildfire rebuilding and recovery efforts on January 17, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. The announcement follows the devastating Palisades Fire, which erupted 10 days ago in Pacific Palisades, claiming at least 25 lives and destroying more than 3,500 structures across the area. Meanwhile, outside Los Angeles and beyond Mayor Karen Bass’ jurisdiction, the Eaton Fire continues to burn in Altadena, northeast of the city. (Photo by Apu Gomes/Getty Images)
The Los Angeles Fire Department is pushing back against Mayor Karen Bass after claiming Chief Crowley did not warn her in advance about the high winds that fueled the Palisades and Eaton wildfires.
The fire on the Los Angeles County coast burned down entire neighborhoods and went on to become the ninth deadliest and third-most destructive wildfire on record in California.
Bass, who was in Ghana as part of a Biden Administration delegation, admitted taking that trip was a mistake.
"Yeah, absolutely," Bass said in an interview with NBCLA's Conan Nolan. "There is no question about that."
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Mayor Bass also said she’s working to regain the confidence that may have been lost amid the devastation and rebuilding efforts.
"Absolutely it is," Bass said. "And, I think that I have to demonstrate that every day by showing what we're doing, what is working, what are the challenges. And, to bring Los Angeles forward.”
But the blame game escalated Tuesday when Bass said in a television interview that she was not warned in advance about the high winds and red flag warnings.
“It didn’t reach that level to me to say something terrible could happen and maybe you shouldn’t go on the trip,” Bass said in a television interview. “That type of preparation didn’t happen. If that had, I will tell you, I wouldn’t even have gone to San Diego let alone leave the country.”
In a statement to NBC4, the LAFD fired back – insisting that the department followed all standard preparation procedures. “Prior to the Palisades Fire, the LAFD emailed two separate media advisories, conducted multiple live and recorded media interviews about the predicted extreme fire weather, and notified City Officials about the upcoming weather event.”
