‘Let Me Finish’: L.A. Mayor Spars With Reporter Who Questioned ‘Lack of Preparation’ For Wildfires
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass got curt with a reporter who asked her to explain the “lack of preparation” for the wildfires ripping through Southern California.
CBS News reporter Jonathan Vigiliotti said he and his crew “did not see a single fire engine” when they arrived in the Pacific Palisades as the fires broke out.
“You were out of the country at the time. Shortly after the fire started, a press release was put out warning of this fire behavior,” Vigiliotti told Bass at a Thursday press conference. “My question to you is, what explains this lack of preparation and rapid response?”
The mayor responded that her top priority was “to save lives and to save homes.”
“But that did not happen,” Vigiliotti interjected, prompting Bass to hold up a finger.
“Let me finish,” she said. “Rest assured, when that is done, when we are safe, when lives have been saved and homes have been saved, we will absolutely do an evaluation to look at what worked, what didn’t work, and to correct or to hold accountable anybody, department, individual, etc. But my focus right now is on the lives and on the homes.”
The reporter continued to press Bass, asking if she thought her leadership was effective in responding to the wildfires.
“I just said what I believe is the most important thing for us to do right now,” Bass said. “And that is gonna continue to be my focus. Thank you.”
The embattled politico has been harshly criticized for being overseas as fires engulfed Los Angeles. Bass left for Ghana on Saturday to attend the inauguration of President John Mahama.
Bass’s spokesperson told the Los Angeles Times that she was in “active communication” with city officials then.
The wildfires in Los Angeles, the worst in its history, have killed at least five people and displaced nearly 180,000 others.
