Trapped Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass revealed that her brother lost his Malibu home to the wildfires that are still raging in the Palisades.
Bass, who has been widely ridiculed for her city's lack of preparedness for devastating fires, revealed the news during a Zoom meeting of the Pacific Palisades Community Council on Thursday.
“The loss you're going through, I share it vicariously. It's hurt my family, too,” Bass told about 1,000 attendees, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Embattled Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass revealed that her brother lost his Malibu home in the still-raging Palisades wildfires. (AP/Getty)
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“My brother, who has lived in Malibu for 40 years, has been in a lot of fires, and he's been evacuated several times — this time he didn't run away,” she said.
Democrat She said her brother's house “was my family's home where we would go on holidays” and that losing the home is “a kind of shock and sadness and it's a shock that will stay with us for a long time.”
The Palisades Fire broke out on January 7 and has burned more than 23,000 acres, destroyed more than 900 structures and killed 11 people. As of Friday morning, the virus is 72% contained, according to Cal Fire.
At the same time, Eaton fire The Hughes Fire has burned 14,000 acres and is 95% contained, while the Hughes Fire, which started Wednesday, has burned more than 10,000 acres and is 56% contained, according to Cal Fire.
Bass faced severe criticism for her travel abroad despite fire warnings and for her response after her return. When the fire broke out, she was attending a cocktail party at the embassy in Ghana as part of a delegation sent by the Biden administration to attend the inauguration of Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama.
On January 2, days before Bass departed for Ghana, the National Weather Service warned of the potential for “extremely hot weather” due to Santa Ana winds.
A helicopter drops water on the Palisades Fire in Mandeville Canyon on January 11, 2025 in Los Angeles. (Etienne Laurent)
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Just days later, on January 7, the barriers caught fire, and residents were ordered to evacuate. She appears to have been taking the photos before 8pm local time, which is 12pm Los Angeles time, according to the Los Angeles Times.
It also turns out that the chief of the Los Angeles Fire Department Bass warned last month A budget cut of about $18 million has plunged it into “unprecedented operational challenges” that would hamper its ability to respond to large-scale emergencies such as wildfires.
Bass signed off on the budget measures, denying that the cuts hampered the city's response. Bass said there would be time to evaluate the response later.
Celebrities, including Sarah Michelle Gellar, Patricia Heaton and Jillian Michaels, called for Bass to be held accountable. Governor Gavin Newsom And leadership of California.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, right, and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass have been criticized for their lack of preparedness and response to the fires. (Eric Thayer/Getty Images)
HBO host Bill Maher also criticized local officials, accusing them of prioritizing DEI initiatives over effective fire response. President Donald Trump also criticized Bass and Newsom, accusing them of “gross incompetence.” Trump even suggested Newsom should resign as governor, and locals also wondered why Fire hydrants ran empty.
Trump claimed that a lack of forest management and Newsom's refusal to allow rainwater from the north to flow freely into Southern California contributed to one of the most destructive wildfires in the state's history.
Trump is expected to visit Golden State on Friday.
Fox News' Rachel Wolf and Stephen Price contributed to this report.
