Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has come under fire from constituents and public figures alike for her trip to Ghana in the midst of a wildfire crisis in Southern California. According to FOXLA, Bass was part of a delegation celebrating the inauguration of Ghana President John Dramani Mahama when the wildfires broke out. Criticism intensified due to the fatalities, numerous injuries, and extensive damage the fires have caused, affecting over a thousand structures and prompting evacuation orders for 70,000 people.
As Mayor Bass's absence was brought to light, prominent figures such as Elon Musk and former mayoral candidate Rick Caruso have publicly denounced her leadership. Caruso called the situation a third-world country-level event, while Bass's former opponent in the mayoral race, President-elect Donald Trump’s foreign policy advisor Richard Grenell, remarked on Daily Mail that the mayor was in Africa while our city is literally burning to the ground. Despite these criticisms, California Gov. Gavin Newsom defended the mayor's actions, appreciating her prompt communication and efforts to coordinate aid from Africa.
In a rebound to the criticism, Deputy Chief of Staff Celine Cordero informed that Mayor Bass had been "actively engaged 100% of the time" while abroad, and was closely in touch with city officials managing the crisis. The mayor will be "on the ground shortly" Cordero stated, as reported by KTLA. Meanwhile, Bass herself declared a local state of emergency and has been remotely providing updates and guiding the city's response to the wildfires via her official accounts.
Local reporting has highlighted the failures that have exacerbated the fire's impact, such as the lack of preparation for 'critical' weather conditions, power lines contributing to the spread of fire, and insufficient water resources for firefighting efforts. "Their hands have been tied. They can't fight a fire without water and the resources that are needed," Bass's mayoral race opponent, Caruso, told the Daily Mail. Erratic weather conditions have further complicated the already dire situation, prompting FEMA to approve a grant to assist California with firefighting costs, a development shared by Governor Gavin Newsom on his social media, as noted by the Daily Mail.
