Embattled Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has revealed that her brother lost his Malibu home in the still-raging Palisades wildfires.
Bass, who has been widely ridiculed for her city’s lack of preparedness for the devastating fires, disclosed the news during a Zoom meeting of the Pacific Palisades Community Council on Thursday.
“The loss that you’re going through, I share indirectly. It’s hit my family too,” Bass told about 1,000 attendees, per the Los Angeles Times.
Embattled Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has revealed that her brother lost his Malibu home in the still-raging Palisades wildfires. (AP/Getty)
Just days later, on Jan. 7, the Palisades were burning, and residents were ordered to evacuate. She appeared to be posing for photos just before 8 p.m. local time, which was 12 p.m. in Los Angeles, according to the Los Angeles Times.
It also came to light that the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) chief warned Bass last month that a nearly $18 million budget cut had plunged it into “unprecedented operational challenges” that would hamper its ability to respond to large-scale emergencies like wildfires.
The budget measures were signed off by Bass, and she has denied the cuts have hindered the city’s response.
Bass has said that there will be time for an evaluation of the response at a later date.
Celebrities, including Sarah Michelle Gellar, Patricia Heaton and Jillian Michaels, have called for accountability from Bass, Gov. Gavin Newsom, and California state leadership.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, right, and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, left, have been criticized for their lack of preparedness and response to the fires. (Eric Thayer/Getty Images)
HBO host Bill Maher also slammed local officials and accused them of prioritizing DEI initiatives over competent fire response. President Donald Trump has also been critical of Bass and Newsom, accusing them of “gross incompetence.” Trump even suggested that Newsom resign as governor, and locals have also questioned why fire hydrants ran empty.
Trump claimed the lack of forest management and Newsom’s reported refusal to allow stormwater from the north to flow freely to Southern California contributed to one of the most destructive wildfires in the state’s history.
Trump is expected to visit the Golden State on Friday.
Fox News’ Rachel Wolf and Stepheny Price contributed to this report.
