Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass came under intense criticism on Wednesday after it was revealed that she cut the city's Fire Department budget by $17.6 million just ahead of this week's devastating fires as she prioritized funding for the city's growing homeless population, much of which went unspent, according to reports.
The budget cut was the second largest in Bass' 2024-2025 fiscal plan, city records show, though it wasn't the level of reduction she had initially sought. Bass had originally proposed a $23 million cut to the Los Angeles Fire Department's budget. A study by the city's comptroller found that more than half of the allocated homeless funding went unused.
No Money to Control the Fires
For fiscal year 2023-2024, LA allocated $837 million to the fire department, which accounted for only 65 percent of the $1.3 billion earmarked for addressing homelessness, according to Fox News.
Bass' budget cuts have drawn renewed scrutiny as the Los Angeles Fire Department made an unusual request for off-duty firefighters to assist in combating three major wildfires raging across the city. Fueled by powerful 100 mph Santa Ana winds on Tuesday, the fires have continued to expand rapidly.
So far, at least 70,000 residents have been ordered to evacuate their homes, with the blaze already being labeled the most destructive wildfire in the city's history in just 24 hours.
The spotlight returned to Bass' budget cuts as the Los Angeles Fire Department made an urgent call for off-duty firefighters to help in fighting three massive wildfires engulfing the city. These fires, driven by 100 mph Santa Ana winds on Tuesday, have continued to grow at an alarming pace.
In just 24 hours, the fires have become the most devastating in the city's history, forcing the evacuation of at least 70,000 residents from their homes.
"It's all about leadership management, that we're seeing a failure of, and all these residents are paying the ultimate price for that," said Rick Caruso, an LA developer who lost the city's 2022 mayoral race to Bass.
Slammed for Ghana Trip
The backlash intensified as it emerged that Bass was thousands of miles away in Ghana when the wildfires erupted.
With reports of dry fire hydrants hampering efforts to combat the flames, Caruso directly blamed Bass for the crisis and criticized her for being physically absent while the city faced devastation.
"I think you should start asking ... Why don't you call the mayor, who is out of the country, and ask her? Get an answer from her," he told Fox LA.
As the fires intensified on Tuesday and rapidly escalated overnight into Wednesday, Bass was 7,400 miles away in Ghana, attending the inauguration of President John Dramani Mahama.
"Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is on a taxpayer-funded trip to Africa as part of a Biden administration presidential delegation WHILE HER CITY IS BURNING TO THE GROUND," wrote America First Works president Ashley Hayek on X.
"This is INSANE," she said.
Elon Musk, who was recently chosen by Trump to serve in his cabinet, also weighed in, labeling Bass as "utterly incompetent."
The three wildfires have claimed at least five lives and destroyed more than 1,000 structures.
The Pacific Palisades Fire, located in the northwest part of Los Angeles, has grown to over 15,000 acres. Meanwhile, the Eaton Fire in the northeast has expanded to more than 10,000 acres, up from just 2,000 earlier in the day. The Hurst Fire, burning north of the city, currently spans approximately 500 acres.
