Deleted Text Messages Reveal L.A. Mayor Karen Bass’ Timestamped Response To Palisades Wildfire

Bass has come under fire for knowing about the dangerous wind and fire conditions prior to her trip and before the fire started.

Deleted text messages from Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass reveal her responses when she initially learned about the devastating January 2025 Palisades Fires while on a trip to Ghana, CBS News reports.

Screenshots show Bass received a message in a group chat including Deputy Mayor of Communications Zach Seidl and Chief of Staff Carolyn Webb de Macías from deputy chief of staff, Celine Cordero, at 6:48 p.m., Jan. 7, Ghana time which would’ve been roughly before 11 a.m. in Los Angeles.

Cordero wrote, “on phone with Chief Crowley now. 2 significant fires in city now. She will call you mayor. Potential evacuations. Significant resources.” Cordero highlighted 40 mph winds, with much of Southern California experiencing a severe Santa Ana wind event.

Bass has come under fire for knowing about the dangerous wind and fire conditions prior to her trip and before the fire started.

Cordero then sent a message at 7:33 p.m., providing the mayor with an update of an evacuation order that was being sent out: “Palisades fire is now at 200 acres. The Palisades Recreation Center will be used as an evacuation center.”

Messages also revealed LA County Board of Supervisors Lindsay Horvath texted Bass at 7:50 p.m. asking if additional support was needed. “Reaching out about the Palisades fire. I understand our County Fire Dept is supporting City and our Office of Emergency Management has been in touch with City staff, also,” Horvath wrote.

Approximately 15 minutes later, Cordero, who was removed from her position following the fires, alerted Bass that LA Fire Department Chief Kristin Crowley warned that homes would be lost in addition to wanting to schedule a meeting with the mayor at the Emergency Operations Center soon.

After messages reveal Bass’ team was coordinating travel plans back to the United States, the mayor detailed her availability.

“I have phone access on the plane!!! If you see a strange number it’s ME! 301 it will show as a military base,” Bass wrote at 9:48 p.m., Cordero responded: “It would be great to pull together a GM call and have you join. Stress urgency, importance of all hands on deck? Departments need to have reps in EOC etc. During DC layover?”

Residents who have confronted Bass for her fire response aren’t the only people who are criticizing the mayor. The Los Angeles Times sued the city over the deleted texts, accusing city officials of unlawfully withholding and deleting the mayor’s messages and additional public records from January’s blaze. While city leaders argue they don’t need to do so under California’s public records laws, the Times’ outside counsel Kelly Aviles disagrees.

“It’s bigger than these text messages,” Aviles said. “The city seems to believe they can destroy whatever they want whenever they want, and that they don’t have a duty to the public to retain public records.

Kim Whitley and Yvette Nicole Brown, who fiercely defend Mayor Bass, sat down with BLACK ENTERPRISE to discuss their concerns and loyalty to Bass.