Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said Tuesday that she “wasn’t aware” of warnings about the extreme winds that led to the devastating Palisades Fire on January 7, but she posted those warnings on her official X account on January 6.
Bass gave her first television interview since the fire to Elex Michaelson of Los Angeles-area Fox affiliate KTTV-11.
L.A. Mayor Karen Bass says she "wasn't aware of warnings" before leaving for Ghana .
— Elex Michaelson (@Elex_Michaelson) February 19, 2025
Timeline:
Jan. 3: National Weather Service puts out a fire weather warning
Jan. 4: Mayor Bass leaves for Ghana
Jan. 6: "Particularly Dangerous Situation" warning issued
Jan. 7: Palisades… pic.twitter.com/fVq3WRoBTy
There is an expected destructive and potentially life-threatening windstorm starting Tuesday morning through Wednesday afternoon.
— Mayor Karen Bass (@MayorOfLA) January 7, 2025
Red Flag No Parking Restrictions will go into effect in certain areas tomorrow morning.
Stay safe LA! Join @NotifyLA here: https://t.co/C2EO2lzTXO https://t.co/ChmYDOhJPr
Bass left the country for Ghana before the fire and was there when the disaster happened — a “mistake,” she now says.
In the interview, Bass returned to blaming Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Kristin Crowley, saying that Crowley had not notified her about the potential for a disaster and had not prepared for the disaster as on previous occasions.
Despite boasting earlier Tuesday about the first home in Pacific Palisades to be completely cleared of debris, Bass said that it would take three to five years to rebuild the community — well beyond her current term as mayor of L.A.
Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of The Agenda: What Trump Should Do in His First 100 Days, available for pre-order on Amazon. He is also the author of The Trumpian Virtues: The Lessons and Legacy of Donald Trump’s Presidency, now available on Audible. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.
