Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said recovery efforts from the 2025 Palisades fire were among the fastest in California history, despite months of criticism.
Bass reflects on the massive wildfires that ravaged his town a year ago. Podcast “At our table” with Jaime Harrison on Tuesday.
“If you look at Hawaii, Hawaii right now, these fires happened two years ago,” Bass said. “And they have about 300 homes that are being rebuilt. We currently have over 300 homes under reconstruction in the Palisades. »
LOS ANGELES MAYOR CUTS DEI BUREAU FIRE DEPARTMENT IN PROPOSED BUDGET MONTHS AFTER WAKE-UP REACTION
Mayor Karen Bass defended Los Angeles’ rebuilding efforts after January’s deadly wildfires. (Eric Thayer/Getty Images; Apu Gomes/Getty Images)
She continued, “Now, having said that, it’s the holidays. People are still away from home. It doesn’t do anyone any good to sit here and tell you that this is one of the fastest recovery and rebuilding efforts that the state of California has ever seen, and I’m proud of that. But I have to acknowledge the heartache and suffering and pain that people have endured.”
Bass claimed that “opportunistic individuals” had “deliberately spread misinformation” and lies about the fires that misled the public about Los Angeles’ rebuilding efforts.
NEWSOM ACCUSES TRUMP Of Spreading ‘Hurricane-Force Bulls—‘ During Deadly California Wildfires
The Los Angeles mayor then suggested that climate change was playing a larger role in the damage caused by wildfires.
The Palisades Fire destroyed more than 16,200 structures in 2025. (Apu Gomes/Getty Images)
“I would make it more general,” she said. “I would say that we as a nation and frankly as a planet, because we have not been responsible for our environment. We need to prepare for extreme weather events that we never expected. I think about the flooding that is happening right now in the Pacific Northwest. We are seeing hurricanes happening with intensities that we have never seen before. You name it.
Bass added: “But you know, it’s one thing that I’m really proud of in Los Angeles and California. Climate change is our way of life. It’s not a controversy.”
Fox News Digital contacted Bass’ office for comment.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has been criticized for slow rebuilding efforts after deadly wildfires. (Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images)
Bass has faced widespread criticism over his handling of the deadly and destructive fires that ravaged his city, particularly for his trip to Ghana for the swearing-in of its president at the start of the fires.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Fires in Eaton and Palisades, California destroyed more than 16,200 structures in 2025. Construction has begun on fewer than 600 homes and businesses, or less than 4% of the structures destroyed.
