Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass offered her condolences to her city residents who have experienced loss in the California wildfires.
Over 150,000 Californians remained under evacuation orders, largely in the Los Angeles area as of Sunday. At least 16 people have died as multiple wildfires are spreading across the region. While power has been restored to most areas, the hardest-hit neighborhoods are under a boil water notice and have been asked to conserve water to help fight the fires.
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“Angelinos, we’re still going through it. And to any of you and all of you that have experienced a loss: the grief, the anger, the just utter shock — I’ve seen the devastation. It is unbelievable the amount of loss that people have experienced, but we have to get through this crisis, and I know that we will,” Bass said in a video posted to X. “We’re the nation’s second-largest city, one of the greatest cities in the world and we stay together, and we will rebuild an amazing city. So thank you, Angelinos, and my thoughts and prayers are out to all of you that are going through unbelievable loss and pain today.”
Bass has faced backlash for not being in town when the fires began, as she was in Ghana for the inauguration of President John Dramani Mahama. The mayor did not answer when she was asked whether she would apologize for her absence. This latest video was received with criticisms about her smile throughout the video.
“Why is she smiling though?” California state senator Marie Alvarado-Gil wrote on X.
“’We have to rebuild our city…’ Every LA citizen: ‘Yeah, by getting rid of you!'” former presidential candidate Larry Elder responded to the video.
Dozens of additional posts called on her to resign in online responses to the video.
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Since winning reelection in 2022, Bass cut $17.6 million from the emergency services budget, which has directly compromised fire departments. Meanwhile, the hydrants in these communities hit by the fires have run out of water. The areas have supplied hydrants with water from nearby reservoirs and water tanks but have since needed to transport water in per the Los Angeles Water and Power Department.
Five days after the fires first sparked, there were reported flames in over 38,000 acres in Southern California. Many of the fires have spread into neighborhoods and destroyed homes.