Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass (D) is coming under criticism for being on a trip out of the country as wildfires rip through parts of the Southern California city.  President-elect Trump adviser Richard Grenell ripped Bass for being “in Africa while our city is literally burning to the ground.” RNC Research, an X account managed by Trump’s team and the Republican National Committee, also called out the mayor’s absence.  Tech mogul Elon Musk piled on, calling Bass “utterly incompetent," and Rick Caruso, a real estate developer who ran for mayor in 2022 as a Democrat, called into local television station, pointing out Bass's absence and saying the city looked like a "third-world country." Bass was reportedly on her way back to Los Angeles on Wednesday after a trip out of the country. She was part of a U.S. delegation to Accra for the inauguration of Ghana President John Mahama, plus a meeting with Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, who's making history as Ghana's first female vice president. The Hill has contacted the mayor’s office for comment.  Bass declared a local state of emergency in Los Angeles on Tuesday, promising that the city is “working AGGRESSIVELY” to confront the fires, and has shared a slew of updates about the fires and response on X. But that hasn’t stopped critics from blasting her absence.  Multiple fires are raging in and around Los Angeles, forcing evacuations, disrupting travel and destroying homes in their path. The Los Angeles fire chief reported the first two fatalities from the wildfires Wednesday morning. The Pacific Palisades Wildfire, which started on Tuesday as a brush fire, has grown to nearly 3,000 acres.  President Biden on Tuesday said he was being “frequently briefed” on the Los Angeles wildfires.  “My team and I are in touch with state and local officials, and I have offered any federal assistance that is needed to help suppress the terrible Pacific Palisades fire,” Biden said. “My Administration will do everything it can to support the response. I urge the residents of the Pacific Palisades and the surrounding areas of Los Angeles to stay vigilant and listen to local officials.”