A look at LA Mayor Karen Bass’ actions after the LA wildfires: Timeline
Karen Bass' early Palisades Fire texts released
Karen Bass' text messages from the early days of the Palisades Fire have been released, weeks after her office said they had been deleted.
LOS ANGELES - It’s been a year since the devastating wildfires first broke out on January 7, 2025 in Los Angeles County.
As the road to rebuilding and recovery continues for survivors of the Eaton and Palisades fires, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass still faces the heat from many of her constituents.
As the flames began spreading across the Pacific Palisades and Altadena, Bass was not only outside the city – she was outside the country. She was on a trip to Ghana for the inauguration of President John Dramani Mahama as part of a U.S. delegation to Accra.
As soon as she heard about the devastation in the city, she rushed back and returned to LA as soon as she could. Still, her being missing in action during the initial movements left a sour impression on many Angelenos.
Also, it's important to note the Eaton Fire occurred in LA County, which is outside her jurisdiction.
See a timeline of key moments related to Bass' response to the wildfires below.
Timeline:
January 7, 2025
After hearing about the fast-moving Palisades Fire that forced thousands of evacuations, Mayor Bass declared a state of emergency.
"The City is working AGGRESSIVELY to confront this emergency," she wrote.
Since she was out of town, City Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson, acting as mayor, signed the proclamation.
January 8, 2025
After the Palisades and Eaton Fires exploded in size overnight, Mayor Bass returned to Los Angeles hours later.
"The impact of these fires and winds are devastating," she wrote on X. She said she spoke to President Donald J. Trump and that the two "discussed an urgent path forward towards recovery for the thousands of families impacted."
January 9, 2025
Firefighters had their hands full as they battled four fires in Los Angeles County – the Palisades, Eaton, Hurst and Sunset fires.
On January 9, Los Angeles City Controller Kenneth Mejia revealed the city cut the Los Angeles Fire Department’s funding by $17.6 million for the 2025 fiscal year.
Bass addressed the alleged reductions during a press conference in response to FOX 11’s Bob DeCastro.
"I think if you go back and look at the reductions that were made, there were no reductions that were made that would have impacted the situation that we were dealing with over the last couple of days. And then there was a little bit of confusion because money was allocated to be distributed later on, which was actually going to support salaries and other parts of the fire department that were distributed a little later," Bass said.
PREVIOUS: Karen Bass criticized for cutting LAFD budget by $17.6M amid 3 LA County fires
January 14, 2025
A week after the Palisades and Eaton fires exploded, Bass issued an executive order to expedite rebuilding.
"We will do everything we can to get Angelenos back home," she said at the time.
RELATED: Mayor Bass issues new executive order to expedite rebuilds
January 17, 2024
As the firefight continued, Bass appointed longtime civic official, businessman and developer Steve Soboroff to lead rebuilding efforts in the Pacific Palisades and surrounding areas.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Mayor Bass says she's committed to rebuilding LA, appoints Steve Soboroff to lead efforts
Trump and Bass clash
January 24, 2025
Trump and Bass clashed during Trump’s first trip to LA following the devastating wildfires.
Trump joined local officials during a roundtable discussion after touring the aftermath of the Palisades Fire.
During the roundtable, Bass gave an 18-month timetable for rebuilding, a statement Trump vehemently disagreed with.
"We know the one thing is they are saying they will not be allowed to start for 18 months," Trump said. "They want to start now. They want to start removing things and are not allowed to do it now."
LA Mayor, Trump argue over rebuilding after fires
President Donald Trump and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass argued over the timing of when displaced residents can legally return to their properties to clear out debris after the recent fires.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE:
- Trump tells LA Mayor to let California fire victims start rebuild sooner than '18 months'
- 'We're going to get it fixed', Trump vows to help LA after touring wildfire zone
‘I felt absolutely terrible not being here for my city,’ Bass says
February 16, 2025
During a press conference, Bass admitted her trip to Ghana was a mistake.
https://www.foxla.com/news/la-mayor-bass-admits-ghana-trip-wildfires-was-mistake
February 18, 2025
In an exclusive sit-down interview with FOX 11, Bass addressed the criticism she received for being out of the country in a time of need.
RELATED COVERAGE: Mayor Bass opens up about trip to Ghana during LA fires: 'I felt absolutely terrible'
"The White House called and asked me if I would represent the president. I said yes. It was going to be a very, very short trip, over a weekend and two business days," she explained.
The mayor says LA Fire Chief Kristin Crowley did not call to warn her in advance of the trip and didn't do the "normal preparations" for this kind of wind event. Bass told FOX 11 that no advance warnings were given to her prior to leaving.
In the days leading up to the wildfires, the National Weather Service warned of a ‘life-threatening’ windstorm.
Mayor Bass says she wasn't given warning on weather prior to Ghana trip
"I felt absolutely terrible not being here for my city," LA Mayor Karen Bass told FOX 11's Elex Michaelson during a sit-down interview addressing her trip to Ghana as the wildfires broke out. She said she wasn't given any early warnings about the weather prior to her leaving the country.
Bass fires Crowley
February 21, 2025
In a shocking move, Bass fired former Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley, citing she refused to complete an after-action report.
"We all know that a thousand firefighters that could have been on duty on the morning the fires broke were instead sent home on Chief Crowley's watch. These actions required her removal," Bass said.
RELATED: Mayor Bass removes Kristin Crowley as LAFD Chief
Bass then appointed former Chief Deputy Ronnie Villanueva, who came out of retirement, as Interim Fire Chief.
The month before her dismissal, Crowley said budget cuts hindered the department’s ability to respond to the fires.
RELATED: LAFD chief says budget cuts hindered response to California fires
Crowley attempted to appeal her firing. However, it was denied by the city council.
February 26, 2025
Bass announced a significant milestone the month after the fires, saying Phase 1 of the debris removal process was ahead of schedule.
Phase 1 debris removal, conducted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), involved the removal of highly toxic materials, including electric vehicle batteries.
RELATED: Phase 1 of Palisades Fire debris removal completed ‘months ahead of expectations,’ Bass says
Bass, local officials criticized by PETA
March 6, 2025
Nearly two months after the fires, PETA slammed Bass and other city officials for what they called their "disastrous failure to save animals after the Palisades Fire."
In response, Bass’ office said LA Animal Services worked with several organizations to rescue more than 1,000 animals in the area.
RELATED: Phase 1 of Palisades Fire debris removal completed ‘months ahead of expectations,’ Bass says
March 10, 2025
The Los Angeles Times reported they requested Bass’ text messages connected to the early days of the Palisades and Eaton Fires between the mayor and city officials.
The outlet then claimed those texts were deleted.
Weeks later, those texts were released, revealing she received messages from her staff, members of the city council, the White House, U.S. senators and even mayors from other cities.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE:
- Karen Bass' text messages about Palisades Fire were deleted: Report
- Mayor Bass' deleted text messages from Palisades Fire released
April 17, 2025
Thursday, April 17, 2025 marked 100 days since the deadly California wildfires.
FOX 11’s Matthew Seedorff was at the scene as Bass held a press conference, along with several other state and local leaders, in the Pacific Palisades.
"LA’s disaster recovery is on track to be the fastest in modern California history," she said.
RELATED: 100 days since California wildfires Bass touts progress, but contractors disagree
October 24, 2025
On Oct. 24, Mayor Bass named Deputy Chief Jaime Moore as the new chief of the Los Angeles Fire Department.
"As your next chief, I will work to implement strategic changes that reflect what the department needs and what Angelenos deserve," Chief Moore said. "Those changes include preparation for major disasters, including pre-deployment and staffing; preparation for upcoming world events like the World Cup, the Super Bowl and 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games; improving morale and the culture within the Los Angeles Fire Department, ensuring our department is equipped with the essential resources, staffing and the support that is needed; increasing innovation; adoption of technology; and the use of data to keep Los Angeles safe."
RELATED: Mayor Bass names Jaime Moore as new LA fire chief
‘There are no words to articulate the unimaginable trauma, grief, and exhaustion’
What they're saying:
On Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026, Bass issued a lengthy statement to honor first responders and those displaced, and to remember the lives lost during the Palisades Fire.
"One year ago, the City of Los Angeles faced the most destructive wildfire in our history. Twelve lives were tragically lost, thousands of homes were destroyed, and too many families remain displaced.
We remember all that was lost – the twelve lives, the childhood homes, the irreplaceable family photos and heirlooms, the community spaces that connected generations of Palisades residents. We remember the brave firefighters and first responders who fought tirelessly for weeks on end away from their families. We are also clear-eyed about the lessons learned.
There are no words to articulate the unimaginable trauma, grief, and exhaustion felt by the Palisades community – exacerbated by constant headlines along with delays, underpayments, and denials from insurance providers.
This anniversary forces us to face the trauma head-on. As we collectively mourn, the pain remains palpable. But so does something else now: hope and resolve.
Over the past year, Palisades residents have demonstrated a level of resilience and collective strength that has shown the entire country who Los Angeles is at its core. We don’t turn away from our neighbors in their most challenging moments. We come together to support one another, to forge the path forward. To rebuild even stronger than before.
Full recovery is a long-term, multi-year effort that must leverage innovative solutions to protect the community for the future in the face of more frequent and severe climate threats. We must continue working together alongside the Palisades community and across every level of government, philanthropy, the insurance industry, and the business sector to build on the progress we’ve made and to advocate for what needs to change, including insurance and mortgage forbearance policies and other reforms necessary to support long-term recovery.
I remain committed to continuing to use the full-force of my mayoral power to restore the Palisades community and return families home as quickly and safely as possible."
What's next:
Bass said she plans to run for re-election this year.
The Source: This story was written with information from Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass' official social media accounts, official statements, and previous FOX 11 reports.