Fewer than 20% of LA residents approve of Mayor Bass' wildfire response, poll shows

LOS ANGELES - Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass continues to face criticism over her handling of January's wildfires in Los Angeles, with a recent poll showing how city residents feel about her response.

What we know:

The UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies, in partnership with the Los Angeles Times, conducted a survey revealing that over 40% of registered voters rated Bass's response to the wildfires as "poor or very poor."

In contrast, 19% viewed her response as "excellent or good," while 22% considered it fair. 

A little more than 1 in 5 city residents, or about 22%, thought she was doing a fair job, and the remainder had no opinion.

Bass's office emphasized recovery efforts, including restored power, lifted water advisories, expedited debris removal, and support for fire survivors. 

Respondents had a much more negative view of Bass compared to City Council and the Board of Supervisors -- with 28% saying the supervisors were doing a "poor or very poor job" and 27% saying the same of City Council.

The backstory:

The Palisades Fire, fueled by dry conditions and Santa Ana winds, erupted on January 7, resulting in 12 fatalities and extensive destruction. 

While the Palisades Fire burned on the west, the Eaton Fire burned on the eastside of LA County. Altadena, an unincorporated area, is overseen by the Board of Supervisors, and not under the jurisdiction of the LA City.

Bass has faced loads of criticism for the trip, which she later admitted was a mistake. In an interview with FOX 11's Elex Michaelson, Bass said she wasn't aware before leaving for the trip that the fire forecast was so dire, and that she would not have left if she had known how bad it was. 

She partially blamed former LAFD Chief Kristin Crowley, saying Crowley never contacted her before she left for Ghana to warn her. Bass later fired Crowley over her fire response.

What they're saying:

"The mayor is focused on recovery, which right now is months ahead of expectations, and she is going to continue pushing it forward," Zach Seidl, spokesman for Bass, said in response to the poll.

What's next:

A recall effort against Bass, led by Nicole Shanahan, has been launched, requiring 330,000 signatures within four months to proceed. 

With Bass up for reelection in 2026, speculation surrounds Rick Caruso's potential mayoral run following his launch of Steadfast LA, a private-sector-led recovery initiative.