An expressionless Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass refused to answer reporters' questions after being questioned for her initial absence due to wildfires burning across her jurisdiction.
“Do you owe the citizens an apology for being absent while their house was on fire? And do you regret cutting the fire department's budget by millions of dollars, Mayor?” asked Sky News reporter David Blevins. Bass was waiting to get off the plane on Wednesday after a trip to Ghana.
“Is there anything you would like to say to the people today?” he added.
California wildfires rage across Los Angeles County, forcing thousands to evacuate
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass listened to a speech from Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday while touring fire damage in the city. (Mayor Karen Bass/X)
Bass refused to acknowledge the reporter's presence and continued to ignore questions while looking at the ground.
“You have no apologies to them? Do you think they should have visited Ghana while this was happening in their home country?” he said.
“Mayor, I ask you again, is there anything you would like to say to the citizens as you leave today?'' he said.
The Palisades Fire gutted a building in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles on Wednesday. (AP Photo/Eugene Garcia)
At a late afternoon press conference in Los Angeles on Wednesday, Bass said he took the “fastest route home,” adding that he used a military plane to get there quickly.
She admitted that she was thousands of miles away when the first wildfires broke out on Tuesday, but said: “I took the quickest route home, including on a military plane, which made it easier for me to get in touch.'' “I did it,” he said. “So I was able to make phone calls throughout the flight.”
Los Angeles mayor slashed fire department budget last year to prioritize homeless population
“We are fighting for you and everyone in Los Angeles,” she said, appearing to read from prepared remarks.
As many people blame her for this disaster, pointing out that Bass has slashed funding for vital fire departments and put it into spending on the city's homeless population, Bass His leadership is attracting attention.
For 2023-2024, Los Angeles The Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) was earmarked for $837 million, about 65% of the $1.3 billion budget for homelessness.
LAFD's budget was reduced from the 2023-2024 budget to the 2024-2025 budget.y $837,191,237 to $819,637,423 $17,553,814.
A devastating wildfire broke out in the Los Angeles area on Wednesday at the Eaton Fire in Altadena, California, where strong winds forced people to evacuate and burned vehicles and homes. (Reuters/David Swanson)
Bass arrived at the scene amid ongoing wildfires in Los Angeles County and hundreds of thousands of residents were under evacuation orders.
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Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna told Fox News that five people had died in the Eaton Fire as of Wednesday afternoon.
FOX News Digital has reached out to Bass' office for comment.
Fox News Digital's Breck Dumas contributed to this report.
