LA mayor regrets Ghana trip during wildfires, says ‘hell yeah’

Mayor Karen Bass of Los Angeles expressed remorse for her controversial trip to Ghana before the devastating fires earlier this year in a recent interview with Vice News.

“I was asked, ‘Do I regret going?’ Absolutely. I mean, let me draw a comparison. If you are out of town and your child or a family member falls ill or gets injured, it doesn’t matter where you were or why you were there. You feel terrible,” Bass said in an interview with Vice News earlier this month.

“I’m not trying to make excuses, but I had no idea that the city was in danger when I left,” she later added. “Absolutely no idea. And when I asked the chief upon my return why I wasn’t informed, the response was ‘Because we frequently have Santa Anas and no one expected hurricane-force winds.'”

The mayor faced heavy criticism for the official delegation’s visit to Africa despite warnings of the fire beforehand. The Los Angeles Times reported that her team was aware of the fire risk before her trip.

She returned the day after the fires started devastating Los Angeles neighborhoods like the Pacific Palisades, where numerous buildings were destroyed.

“To be honest, I wasn’t briefed. That’s true. But I believe that people didn’t anticipate the historic wind. And it wasn’t just LA. It affected the county as well.”

“Typically, if there’s a major weather event, there are briefings led by the fire department or emergency department,” she said. “I was used to the fire chief calling me and informing me of impending events. That didn’t happen in the county, encompassing LA and LA County.”

During her flight back to the U.S. from Ghana, she was on the phone almost the entire 12-hour journey.

The aftermath of the fire in Pacific Palisades and along the Pacific Coast Highway. Officials reported at least 10 fatalities in all the Los Angeles fires, with 5,300 structures destroyed in the Palisades fire. (David Hume Kennerly/Getty Images)

“They were updating me on the fire. We were preparing the emergency declaration. They were in contact with the mayor and the council president acting in my absence. I don’t recall if I spoke to him then, as there were numerous phone calls. I think I even did a news interview, all while en route home,” she said. She mentioned having phone access on the military plane and not realizing that Sky News, who she went viral for not responding to, was also on the flight.

Bass removed Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Kristin Crowley from her position in February, and Crowley unsuccessfully appealed her termination.

“Our firefighters support Chief Crowley because she advocated for the department’s personnel,” the United Firefighters of Los Angeles City posted at the time.

During the interview, Bass alleged that there were “lies spread” about the budget and fire engines.

Pali High School across from homes destroyed in the Palisades fire in Pacific Palisades on Jan. 7, 2025. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

“Yes, there were malfunctioning fire engines. It was later discovered that these engines were broken down for spare parts. However, 40 fire engines were idle because they lacked the staff that Crowley had sent home. The budget cut that never actually happened,” she added.

“Yes,” Crowley notably responded during an interview at the time of the fires when asked if city leadership had “let her down” in terms of resources.

“When we created the budget, we allocated funds for the fire department due to ongoing labor negotiations. If the budget was signed prior to the completion of negotiations, once they were finished, we reinstated the funds. This is a common practice. We are currently implementing this,” Bass said.

When questioned about the after-action report for the fire, Bass stated she would “look into it, but it should be nearing completion.”

Fox News Digital contacted Bass’ office and Crowley. Fox News Digital also reached out to the Los Angeles Fire Department, but they did not immediately respond.