As wildfires raged uncontrollably across the Los Angeles area, forcing tens of thousands to evacuate and leaving at least five dead, conservatives within the MAGA movement took to social media to criticize Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and California Governor Gavin Newsom for what they viewed as the city’s failure to prepare or swiftly contain the blaze. During a press conference on Wednesday, Mayor Bass sought to refute claims circulating in MAGA circles that there was no water available to combat the wildfires and that massive portable water tanks had not been adequately filled before the inferno. The mayor immediately found herself on the defensive as she had just returned to Los Angeles on Wednesday following a junket to Africa, where she had been part of a U.S. delegation sent by President Joe Biden to Ghana for the inauguration of President John Mahama. The trip also included a meeting with Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, who made history as Ghana’s first female vice president. California Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass tour the downtown business district of Pacific Palisades as the Palisades Fire continues to burn on January 8, 2025, in Los Angeles, California. Fueled by intense Santa Ana Winds, the Palisades Fire has grown to over 2,900 acres and 30,000 people have been ordered to evacuate while a second major fire continues to burn near Eaton Canyon in Altadena. (Photo by Eric Thayer/Getty Images) Back in Los Angeles, when the fires erupted on Tuesday, Bass was forced to declare a local state of emergency from across the globe, vowing that the city is “working AGGRESSIVELY” to combat the fires and providing regular updates on X. However, her absence provided ammunition for critics, who questioned her leadership during a monumental crisis that forced hundreds of thousands to flee their homes, with some abandoning their cars and running on foot to escape the flames. Arriving back at the helm on Wednesday, Bass immediately faced hard questions about the emergency response, with one reporter pointing to the anger and “raw emotion” in the community from those who blamed the city for not having adequate water supplies to put out the flames. Bass, a former Democratic congresswoman who won the top office in Los Angeles in 2022, responded first by characterizing the fire as “an absolutely unprecedented event” before explaining that “the water pressure dropped as a result of the massive need to fight” as many as five large fires in the area simultaneously. “Water remains in the Pallisades through hydrants, but also through water tankers that have been deployed,” she said in a video shared on X, referring to the most ravaged region on the Pacific coast near Malibu Beach. “Claims that the tanks weren’t full are false. On Monday evening, all available water tanks were filled before the fire,” she added. On social media, several conservative voices demanded that Bass resign, criticizing her initial absence during the wildfires, despite the fact that taking foreign trips was routine practice for U.S. mayors. Richard Grenell, an adviser for President-elect Donald Trump, criticized Bass for being “in Africa while our city is literally burning to the ground.” Additionally, RNC Research, a social media account managed by Trump’s team and the Republican National Committee, echoed the criticism. Later, billionaire X owner Elon Musk joined the criticism, labeling Bass as “utterly incompetent.” Rick Caruso, a real estate developer and former mayoral candidate, also weighed in during a local TV interview, comparing Bass’ absence and the city’s current state to that of a “third-world country.” The harsh right-wing messaging spread like wildfire, with many amplifying the same criticisms voiced by Musk and Grenell. “This is like a third-world country, there is no water coming out of the fire hydrants. LA Mayor Karen Bass is on a foreign trip to Ghana,” one person wrote. Trump also fueled the backlash by attacking Democratic Gov. Newsom’s past water management policies—continuing a pattern of injecting politics into an escalating national crisis. Aiming to hold Democrats accountable for the unfolding disaster, Trump specifically blamed Newsom’s decision to block federal efforts in 2020 to direct more water to Southern and Central California for the devastation. However, water experts explained that fire hydrants in the region were running dry due to overwhelming demand, which caused a major drop in water pressure that stifled first responders and fire crews, affirming what Bass had said. Water officials also emphasized that there was no connection between federal and state water management in this context. Despite the mounting crisis, Trump persisted in spreading false claims and fueling tensions, disregarding the reality that thousands of Americans were left homeless and struggling, with reports surfacing that many had lost their home insurance coverage after the new year. “A true disaster!” Trump wrote on Truth Social, accusing Newsom of refusing to sign a “water restoration declaration” that would have redirected more water to the region. In response, a spokesperson for Newsom clarified that no such document existed, stating the governor is “focused on protecting people, not playing politics, and making sure firefighters have all the resources they need.” The region was under siege from multiple fronts, with up to six wildfires raging, mostly uncontained. The death toll is expected to rise as the fires imparted an apocalyptic scene, with longtime LA residents saying they had never seen anything like this before. Winds up to 100 mph continue to fan the destruction, causing flames to leap from house to house and leaving entire communities in smoldering ruins.  At least 2,000 structures, including two schools, have burned to the ground, with 13,000 more homes and businesses in the immediate path of the flames, city officials said late Wednesday. The Pacific Palisades fire alone has become the most destructive blaze in the history of Los Angeles, with more than 17,000 acres destroyed between Santa Monica and Malibu, home to many Hollywood icons and also near the famed motion picture studios, where a fire erupted late Wednesday at Studio City, extending to nearby structures before being extinguished. Evacuation orders and warnings remain in effect for the foreseeable future throughout the region. Burning elsewhere were the Eaton Fire (10,600 acres, 0% contained), Hurst Fire (855 acres, 10% contained), Lidia Fire (348 acres, 40% contained), and the Sunset Fire (60 acres, 0% contained). Some liberal voices criticized right-wing media for attempting to scapegoat Bass by focusing on her $17.6 million cut to the fire department’s budget in 2024 while conveniently omitting that Republicans had been the driving force behind those budget reductions. “Intellectually dishonest coverage like this boils my blood,” one wrote X user. “Karen Bass had huge pressure from day 1 to cut LA’s budget shortfall. Conservatives bitched & moaned about spending, she cut $17 MM, & now they want to frame this like it’s on her as if she’d have a crystal ball.” Intellectually dishonest coverage like this boils my blood.Karen Bass had huge pressure from day 1 to cut LA’s budget shortfall. Conservatives bitched & moaned about spending, she cut $17 MM, & now they want to frame this like it’s on her as if she’d have a crystal ball. https://t.co/4u9Fk0cT1c— Neale (@AbeFroman) January 8, 2025 In her $12.8 billion budget proposal in April 2024, Mayor Bass outlined funding for the hiring of additional firefighters, noting that most LAFD calls were medical.  The budget also continued the Emergency Appointment Paramedic Program to ensure timely responses to urgent medical emergencies. It prioritized the well-being of firefighters and first responders, with dedicated funds to promote equity and inclusion within the department’s staffing. However, the budget did not address additional hiring or natural resources for firefighters as Bass faced political pressure to reduce staffing. “First the GOP destroys you over your budgets — forcing you to make cuts. You make cuts. Then they vilify you for the cuts. Right on cue,” one person wrote in the comments section of an X post that emerged from the controversy. Public records reveal that Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley sent a memo to the Board of Fire Commissioners in December, warning that $17 million in cuts from the fire department’s budget severely limited its capacity to respond to large-scale emergencies, including wildfires and earthquakes. While reducing homelessness has remained a top priority for Bass, her latest budget also slashed funding for homeless initiatives and scaled back efforts to hire additional police officers, alongside a plan to eliminate more than 2,100 vacant positions. Bass requested $950 million to enhance city services and provide more housing to help move people off the streets. Previously, in fiscal budget 2023-24, Bass declared a state of emergency and received a record $1.3 billion to fight the city’s homeless problem. However, nearly half of the funds went unspent, leading to a smaller budget for 2024-25. According to a city controller’s analysis, only $599 million was used, with an additional $195 million encumbered, leaving at least $513 million in coffers. ‘Boils My Blood!’: Outraged Supporters Slam ‘Dishonest’ MAGA Critics for Blaming LA Mayor Karen Bass for Los Angeles Wildfires While Playing Politics