A Los Angeles-area fire chief has delivered a blistering takedown of Mayor Karen Bass over her administration's catastrophic response to the wildfires that obliterated entire neighborhoods in the Pacific Palisades and Altadena more than a year ago.
The scathing criticism comes as the full scope of Bass's failures during the crisis continues to haunt Los Angeles residents who lost everything while their mayor was literally vacationing overseas as their city burned.
The fire chief's withering assessment joins a chorus of voices - from President Trump to billionaire developer Rick Caruso to celebrity victims like Spencer Pratt - who have called out the Democrat mayor's incompetent handling of the disaster. Pratt, who lost his home in the inferno, is now mounting a campaign to replace Bass in the mayor's office.
A 'Keystone Cops' Response
The planning failures and bumbling response have been described as resembling the "Keystone Cops" - a reference that perfectly captures the amateur-hour incompetence that characterized Bass's leadership during LA's darkest hour.
While entire communities burned to the ground, Bass was caught flat-footed, demonstrating the kind of failed liberal leadership that has become synonymous with Democrat-run cities across America. Her administration's lack of preparedness for wildfire season - in CALIFORNIA of all places - shows a stunning dereliction of duty.
"This wasn't just poor planning - this was a complete abdication of responsibility to the people of Los Angeles," critics have charged.
The fire chief's public rebuke represents a rare moment of accountability in a city where Democrat politicians typically circle the wagons to protect their own, regardless of how badly they fail the people they're supposed to serve.
As Los Angeles continues to grapple with the aftermath of Bass's failures, residents are asking the tough questions: How many homes could have been saved with proper leadership? How many families could have been spared the trauma of losing everything?
With challengers like Spencer Pratt stepping up to offer real leadership, maybe LA residents won't have to find out what happens when the next disaster strikes under Karen Bass's watch.