In the first 24 hours after the Los Angeles wildfire disaster, Mayor Karen Bass was constantly present on social media, urging Angelenos to evacuate evacuation zones and announcing the decision to declare a state of emergency.

Meanwhile, the bus itself was far from the city. As the flames swept through the Pacific Palisades, she was on a diplomatic mission in Africa, communicating with major city institutions from afar.

Bass left town on Saturday as part of a presidential delegation to Ghana, just as the National Weather Service began ratcheting up warnings about the coming storm. On Tuesday, she attended the inauguration of Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama and left City Council President Marquise Harris Dawson as acting mayor of Los Angeles during the Palisades fire.

Harris-Dawson, the city’s top elected official, spoke at a press conference as wildfires exploded and new fires broke out in Sylmar and other areas. As Bass was away from the cameras, her opponent in the 2022 mayoral race, real estate developer Rick Caruso, quickly stepped in to fill the void, with multiple news outlets reporting on the city’s disaster response. vehemently criticized.

Caruso, who lost her daughter in the wildfires, expressed outrage at the lack of water pressure to extinguish the fires in the Pacific Palisades. Fox 11 harshly criticized Bass’ absence, saying, “The mayor is out of the country and the city is on fire.”

“There are mayors everywhere who are concerned about partying,” Caruso said in an interview with the Times. “Our leadership was terrible and we lost billions of dollars because she wasn’t here and didn’t know what she was doing.”

Bass spokesman Zach Seidl did not immediately respond to the claims. In an earlier message, the mayor said he was “actively communicating” with Harris Dawson, Fire Chief Christine Crowley and other officials while he was out of the country. She said she had access to phone service because she was on a military plane for much of the trip.

Asked about the fire hydrants, Ministry of Water and Power officials said the city’s water system was under “huge demand” and was being pushed to “extreme conditions.” DWP General Manager Janice Quiñones said at a news conference Wednesday morning that the system had experienced four times the normal demand for 15 consecutive hours, resulting in a drop in overall water pressure.

During the same press conference, Fire Chief Crowley reported that the bus would return at noon Wednesday. Bass’ deputy chief of staff, Celine Cordero, said her boss was “actively involved in decision-making” throughout the emergency.

“I want to assure the community and the city that [that] Our mayor has been proactive throughout the last 24 hours during this unfortunate and unfortunate event and crisis,” Cordero said as he appeared before a series of news cameras.

Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Berger backed up those claims, saying she was in regular contact with Bass about emergencies and even texted him as late as 10:30 p.m. Tuesday.

“Believe me, she’s very enthusiastic. Very passionate,” said Berger, whose district covers the northern edge of the county.

Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna also said he was unconcerned about Bass’ absence and was working directly with the police chief, fire chief and other officials. He said he believed the bus was trying to get back as soon as possible.

“Even if I can’t see the mayor, I feel her presence,” Luna said.

National Weather Bureau established caveat On Thursday, two days before Mr Bass was due to leave for Ghana, there was the possibility of high winds amid “extreme fire conditions”. Those warnings were reinforced over the next few days. By Monday, officials had begun preparing for a potential situation. life-threatening and destructive Storm.

Eric Spiegelman, a Los Feliz resident who served on the city’s taxi commission for several years, said Bass should have booked a flight home by Sunday at the latest after the National Weather Service issued the warning. Ta. fire weather forecast It begins Tuesday in Los Angeles and Ventura counties due to “significant fire conditions.”

“She was supposed to be here on Tuesday,” he said. “They kept increasing the danger level.”

The first fire broke out in Pacific Palisades around 10:30 a.m. Tuesday. About five hours later, Seidl told the Times the bus was “on its way” from Ghana. Over the next several hours, wildfires started and spread to Altadena, Pasadena, Malibu, and Sylmar. Seidl said Bass flew to Washington, D.C., on a military plane and from there traveled on business.

This is not the first time a Los Angeles mayor has left the city during a major crisis. Mayor James K. Hahn was in Washington, D.C., for several days after the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001. Following the grounding, then-City Council President Alex Padilla (now a U.S. senator) took steps to reassure the public about the city’s efforts to keep it safe.

By mid-morning Wednesday, Bass and her team were still posting updates on the wildfires, reporting that helicopters were once again dropping water on the blazes in the Pacific Palisades. Crowley and Police Chief Jim McDonnell were present on behalf of the city when President Biden was briefed on the Santa Monica fires.

By 1 p.m., the base back to LAtoured Pacific Palisades with Governor Gavin Newsom and U.S. Senator Padilla.

“The effects of these fires and winds are devastating,” she said in a statement. “I finished my call with President Biden to discuss an urgent path to recovery for the thousands of affected families.”

Times staff writers Grace Toohey and Liam Dillon contributed to this report.