LA Times Owner Blasts Mayor Bass For Slashing Millions From Fire Department's Budget

The owner of the Los Angeles Times blasted LA mayor Karen Bass for slashing the Fire Department's budget by over $20 million as wildfires continue to ravage the areas, having already killed five people and destroyed thousands of structures.

Concretely, Dr. Pat Soon-Shiong said that even though "fires in LA are sadly no surprise," the "Mayor cut LA Fire Department's budget by $23M." "And reports of empty fire hydrants raise serious questions. Competence matters," he added before directing viewers to the LA Times' ongoing coverage.

Fox News clarified that the Fire Department's budget was actually cut by $17 million, but Bass had originally proposed cutting the figure mentioned by Soon-Shiong. Bass, who was outside the country when the fires began, has been criticized by opponents for the city's preparedness to face the fires.

Former mayoral candidate Rick Caruso personally blamed Bass: "We have got a mayor that is out of the country, and we have got a city that is burning, and there is no resources to put out fires," he said, adding that firefighters found hydrants empty in the Pacific Palisades when rushing to contain the fires.

Bass arrived in California on Wednesday night from a trip to Ghana. "Do you owe citizens an apology for being absent while their homes were burning? And do you regret cutting the Fire Department by millions of dollars, Madame Mayor?" Sky News reported David Blevins asked. She avoided the question at that moment but said she "took the fastest route back" in a posterior contact with press. "I was able to be on the phone the entire time of the flight," she said, adding that "we are fighting for you and everyone in Los Angeles."

At least five people have been killed and over 100,000 residents have been displaced by the wildfires, with billions in damages. Fires have burned more than 27,000 acres and destroyed or damaged 2,000 structures by Thursday morning, stretching emergency services to their limits. Overall, around 130,000 people are under evacuation orders across the county.

A new fire, the Sunset fire, ignited Wednesday evening in the Hollywood Hills, prompting evacuations around major landmarks, including the TCL Chinese Theatre, the Dolby Theatre, known for hosting the Academy Awards. Parts of Beverly Hills are also under evacuation warning. It burned 60 acres within hours.

The economic toll of the wildfires is staggering. Early estimates suggest damages and economic losses could reach between $52 billion and $57 billion, according to AccuWeather, potentially making it the costliest wildfire incident in California's history. Schools, businesses, and even major sports events have been disrupted, with the Los Angeles Kings postponing a game and the Lakers' next match uncertain.