Mayor Karen Bass was on a diplomatic mission in Africa, communicating with key city agencies from afar when city was engulfed with fire.
Bass left town on Saturday as part of a presidential delegation to Ghana, just as the National Weather Service began ratcheting up its warnings about the coming windstorm.
On Tuesday, she attended the inauguration of Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama, leaving City Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson as L.A.’s acting mayor when the Palisades fire broke out.
As she returned to the U.S., Bass faced some brutal assessments of the city’s handling of the fires.
In one airport, she stood silently as a Sky News reporter peppered her with questions about her decision to go to Africa.
In a video of the confrontation, Bass mostly avoided eye contact as the reporter pressed her on whether she needed to apologize to Angelenos for being in Africa — and whether she regretted reducing the Fire Department budget earlier this year.
“Madam Mayor, have you absolutely nothing to say to the citizens today who are dealing with this disaster?” the reporter asked. Bass did not reply to any of his questions.