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California wildfires in real time: Palisades fire one of the most destructive in Los Angeles history

California wildfires in real time: Palisades fire one of the most destructive in Los Angeles history

Mayor Karen Bass did not respond to questions about the city’s fire preparations and her decision to travel to Ghana for the country’s presidential inauguration amid serious wildfire warnings.

Bass said that shouldn’t be the focus at this point.

“We must protect lives, we must save lives and homes. Rest assured, once that’s done, we’ll definitely do an evaluation to see what worked and what didn’t work,” Bass told reporters Thursday. .

“Right now I’m focused on life and houses,” Bass said.

California Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass visit the downtown Pacific Palisades business district where the Palisades Fire continues to burn on January 8, 2025 in Los Angeles.

Eric Thayer/Getty Images

They also asked about Bas reducing the fire budgetto which she highlighted the serious budget shortfall and said the figures could be misleading as some funding may be withheld initially. She said she doesn’t believe the funding cuts are having any detrimental effect on fighting wildfires.

“I’m not here to talk about our budget,” Bass added.