logo
Text messages show Mayor Karen Bass' response when she learned about the Palisades Fire

Text messages show Mayor Karen Bass' response when she learned about the Palisades Fire

CBS News28-03-2025

Newly released text messages from Mayor Karen Bass' phone reveal a bit about her immediate response when she learned about the Palisades Fire that erupted in the Pacific Palisades community on Jan. 7.
When the fire broke out around 10:30 a.m., Bass was in Ghana attending a reception with local and foreign officials for the swearing in of Ghana's President-elect John Dramani Mahama.
Bass' trip to Ghana
has garnered criticism, given the fact that weather officials had warned about dangerous wind and fire conditions before the blaze erupted. An
LA Times-UC Berkeley poll
shows that 41% of residents in LA described Bass' response to the firestorm as poor or very poor.
Bass addressed the text messages at a news conference Friday morning.
"What I would like the public to take from the text messages, is that although I was not here, I was engaged every minute I could possibly be engaged," Bass said.
The text messages are not a reflection of Bass' entire communication. They do not include other messages, emails or phone calls the mayor may have had.
The messages show that Bass received a message from her deputy chief of staff, Celine Cordero, at 6:48 p.m. while she was in Ghana, which would've been shortly before 11 a.m. in LA. Also included in the group chat was Bass' Deputy Mayor of Communications Zach Seidl and Chief of Staff Carolyn Webb de Macías.
"On phone with Chief Crowley now. 2 significant fires in city now. She will call you mayor," Cordero wrote. "Potential evacuations. Significant resources."
Cordero also noted the weather conditions, including that there were 40 mph winds while much of Southern California was experiencing a severe Santa Ana wind event.
The National Weather Service had
issued a red flag warning
for Jan. 7 for parts of LA and Ventura counties in preparation for a "particularly dangerous situation" caused by damaging wind gusts that were predicted to reach up to 80 mph. The NWS has also issued a fire watch for the same areas.
Within hours of erupting, the Palisades Fire grew and was fueled by wind gusts, spreading embers and igniting new hot spots.
Cordero's next message was sent at 7:33 p.m., giving Bass an update that an evacuation order was going to be sent.
"Palisades fire is now at 200 acres," Cordero wrote. "The Palisades Recreation Center will be used as an evacuation center."
The messages show LA County Board of Supervisors Lindsay Horvath texted the mayor at 7:50 p.m., asking if she needed additional support and if there was anything she wanted to put on her radar.
"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.
Then at 8:07 p.m., Cordero told Bass that then-LA Fire Department Chief Kristin Crowley said homes would be lost soon and she would be meeting with her at the Emergency Operations Center soon.
Following the fires,
Bass officially removed Crowley
as chief on Feb. 21.
Crowley appealed her removal
to the LA City Council but was unsuccessful.
The messages then show Bass and her team working to coordinate her flight back to LA.
At 9:48 p.m., Bass sent a message reminding her team that she would have phone access while on the plane.
"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.
Then at 10:05 p.m., Cordero suggested having a call that the mayor could join.
"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?" Cordero wrote.
While Bass was boarding a plane in Ghana heading back to LA, residents in the Pacific Palisades were being forced to evacuate and
dozens had to abandon their vehicles
on Pacific Coast Highway as flames crept closer, threatening homes and structures.
The morning of Jan. 8, Cordero sent Bass several updates from the LAFD while she was traveling back.
"From LAFD: We will be expanding the evacuation zone all the way to the Santa Monica city limits and all the way to the top of Mandiville Canyon," Cordero wrote at 2:54 a.m.
At 5:27 a.m., Cordero informed Bass that the LAFD said the fire had burned approximately 3,000 acres, all aircraft would be grounded due to wind and visibility concerns and that there were multiple civilian victims injured.
While Bass was flying back, she received messages from several local, state and federal officials offering their support, including Sen. Adam Schiff, Sen. Alex Padilla and Chief Executive Officer and Chief Engineer of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power Janisse Quiñones.
Bass also received several messages from individuals in former President Biden's administration.
Chair of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Kathryn Barger sent Bass a message at 5:50 a.m. informing her there was a fire in Altadena. Bass responded by asking if she was receiving full cooperation from her team.
"Absolutely… City has been incredible," Barger responded.
Data provided by FlightRadar, a flight tracking website, shows Bass' plane landed in Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland just after 2 a.m. local time on Jan. 8.
Bass then traveled to Dulles International Airport, where she boarded a flight to LAX. When she landed back in LA, it was around 11 a.m. local time on Jan. 8.
A few hours after landing,
Bass said she spoke to Biden
and was photographed with Newsom.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

The most destructive tornado in New England history struck Worcester 70 years ago. Here's what happened.
The most destructive tornado in New England history struck Worcester 70 years ago. Here's what happened.

Boston Globe

timean hour ago

  • Boston Globe

The most destructive tornado in New England history struck Worcester 70 years ago. Here's what happened.

The violent tornado was on the ground for 84 minutes and grew to over a mile wide, claiming 94 lives. Thousands of buildings were destroyed. Back then, F4 tornadoes were estimated to have maximum wind speeds between 207 and 260 mph. (Since 2007, when the Enhanced Fujita scale came out, both wind speed and destruction are considered when rating a tornado. There's a good chance that the Worcester tornado would have been rated an EF-5 based on the updated system.) There has only been one tornado since that has claimed more lives: the Joplin, Missouri twister of 2011, which killed more than 100 people. Weather setup Advertisement The Worcester tornado was one of four to strike the region that afternoon, spawning from a strong area of low pressure with a powerful cold front interacting with excessive humidity. According to reports from that day, dew points were well into the 70s, priming the atmosphere for explosive storms. When you forecast the possibility of tornadoes, you need four main ingredients — wind shear, lift, instability, and moisture. Wind shear is the change in wind speed and direction with height in the atmosphere. Lift refers to a mechanism to drive moist, warm air upwards in the atmosphere. Instability and moisture are more obvious, but the more humid it is, the more unstable the atmosphere becomes. All four ingredients were present across New England that day. Advertisement It was also the first-ever tornado warning issued by the National Weather Service (known as the U.S. Weather Bureau back then) in New England, but the warning came only after the twister had touched down — debris was already falling out of the sky at the Blue Hill observatory deck — meaning it was too late for many people to seek shelter. A very strong area of low pressure highlighted the surface weather map of New England on June 9, 1953. NWS Path of destruction The monster tornado began its path of destruction over the Quabbin Reservoir near Petersham around 4:30 p.m., tracking to the southeast and crashing into the towns of Barre and Rutland. By the time the clock struck 5 p.m., the tornado had strengthened significantly in Holden, leveling whole neighborhoods. The path of the 1953 Worcester tornado. TornadoTalk The tornado reached maximum strength and severity when hitting Worcester, with Assumption College in its crosshairs. The northern side of the campus, made of heavy brick walls, was leveled. Assumption College just after 5 p.m. on June 9, 1953. Assumption University What's interesting here is that the Worcester hills, specifically Burncoat, may have amplified wind speeds at this point in the tornado's life, increasing the damage and possibly reaching F5 intensity. Hills can impact a tornado's strength, and increasing elevation could have led to stronger winds. The massive tornado continued into Shrewsbury and Westborough, destroying many homes and businesses until finally fading near the Southborough/Framingham line. Three other tornadoes formed that same day, one in Southeastern Mass., an F3, and two in Southeastern New Hampshire — an F3 and F1. Aftermath To put into context just how powerful this tornado was, debris was found as far away as Eastham on Cape Cod, a signal of just how strong the vortex and updraft were from this storm. Books were found — confirmed to be from Worcester — in Provincetown. Advertisement It took years for the region to recover. More than 4,000 buildings were destroyed by the nearly hour-and-a-half tornado, causing the equivalent of $550 million in damage if the event occurred in 2025. June 10, 1953: The worst tornado in New England's history ripped a 25-mile path of death and destruction through six Central Massachusetts communities on June 9, 1953. The tornado which touched down at 4:25 near the town of Petersham continued for 84 minutes ultimately killing 94 people and leaving over 15,000 homeless. This picture from Burncoat Street in Worcester shows the pile of debris left in its wake. The Boston Globe/Boston Globe Assumption College was relocated to Salisbury Street, while Quinsigamond Community College was built in the years after on the land where Assumption once stood. The Worcester tornado bookmarked a multiday severe weather event across the country, spawning epic tornadoes that have now been cemented in the weather history books. The event in early June 1953 spearheaded rapid changes to how the country handled forecasting, including the development of a storm spotter network that dramatically improved the timing of tornado warnings to help people find cover sooner. Ken Mahan can be reached at

Map Shows 2 States Where Children Warned of Breathing Difficulties
Map Shows 2 States Where Children Warned of Breathing Difficulties

Newsweek

timean hour ago

  • Newsweek

Map Shows 2 States Where Children Warned of Breathing Difficulties

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Air quality alerts continued on Tuesday, with children in two states being warned of "breathing difficulties" if they are exposed to poor air quality. Weather conditions such as light winds and higher temperatures are causing smoke from Canadian wildfires to settle in Ohio, pushing air quality into the unhealthy range, National Weather Service (NWS) observing program leader Brian Mitchell told Newsweek. Why It Matters Smoke from Canadian wildfires prompted widespread air quality alerts across the Upper Midwest, Great Lakes, and Northeast regions over the past few weeks. As of Tuesday, most of the smoke has moved out of the region. However, air quality alerts remain in parts of Ohio and Arizona for fine particulate matter and ozone pollution, respectively. The Air Quality Index (AQI) is expected to be Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups, which includes children and the elderly, in the affected regions. What to Know When inhaled, particles can lodge deep in the lungs and trigger inflammation, while ozone irritates the respiratory system and can exacerbate asthma. Children are particularly vulnerable to the impacts because of their developing respiratory systems and tendency to spend more time outdoors. In Ohio, the air quality alert was issued by the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency and warns of ground-level fine particles affecting the air quality in Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain, Medina, Portage and Summit Counties. A stock image shows a child coughing while outside. A stock image shows a child coughing while outside. AaronAmat/Getty "Air quality levels will be unhealthy for sensitive groups during this period. If you are in the sensitive groups category of children, the elderly and those with breathing difficulties, please monitor your outdoor activity and check air quality readings at In Arizona, an Ozone High Pollution Advisory was in place for Maricopa County, including more than a million people who live in the Phoenix metropolitan area. Sunlight can contribute to higher ozone levels, making these alerts more common in the summertime. "This means that forecast weather conditions combined with existing ozone levels are expected to result in local maximum 8-hour ozone concentrations that pose a health risk. Adverse health effects increase as air quality deteriorates," the alert said. "Ozone is an air contaminant which can cause breathing difficulties for children, older adults, as well as persons with respiratory problems. A decrease in physical activity is recommended." In both states, people were urged to avoid worsening air quality levels by driving less, not idling in their vehicles, refilling their gas tanks after sunset, and waiting to mow the lawn. An air quality alert also was in place for parts of Michigan, although people in that state were not warned of breathing difficulties. What People Are Saying Air quality alert in Arizona: "You are urged to car pool, telecommute or use mass transit. The use of gasoline-powered equipment should be reduced or done late in the day." Air quality alert for Michigan: "Surface temperatures well into the 80s, ample sunlight, and west-southwest winds will create a conducive environment for Ozone development along the Lake Michigan shoreline. Residual wildfire smoke in the region may also enhance Ozone development over Lake Michigan." What Happens Next Both alerts are in place throughout Tuesday. More air quality alerts could be issued as smoke is expected to return on Wednesday.

LA mayor: Vandals ‘will be held accountable'
LA mayor: Vandals ‘will be held accountable'

The Hill

timean hour ago

  • The Hill

LA mayor: Vandals ‘will be held accountable'

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass (D) warned on Tuesday that those vandalizing federal property and looting stores in downtown Los Angeles amid the ongoing protests against the Trump administration's immigration raids will be 'held accountable.' 'Let me be clear: ANYONE who vandalized Downtown or looted stores does not care about our immigrant communities,' Bass said in a Tuesday morning post on social media platform X. 'You will be held accountable.' President Trump and his allies have criticized Bass and California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) for their response to the protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids. Trump's administration has approved the deployment of 4,000 National Guard troops, with Trump making the case that the mobilization is needed to address the chaos and violence, with demonstrators clashing with law enforcement. Some protesters have set cars on fire and vandalized federal property. The Pentagon has deployed some 700 Marines to Los Angeles to assist in protecting federal buildings. Bass on Monday criticized Trump's actions in light of the protests that have intensified over the weekend. 'Trump didn't inherit a crisis — he created one,' Bass wrote Monday on X. 'To those stoking the fire of lawlessness and chaos alongside him — LA will hold you accountable.' The Los Angeles mayor then said Friday night that she told the administration that sending the National Guard was not needed and that the Los Angeles Police Department could have taken care of the violence that broke out. 'But we did not need this to happen. This was a solution in search of a problem. And – and it has left the city in fear,' Bass said during her Monday night appearance on MSNBC's 'The Rachel Maddow Show.' Newsom argued that Trump's deployment of troops to the City of Angels is a warning to other states. 'To preview things to come. It's a coming attraction,' Newsom said Monday night while on 'Pod Save America.' 'I mean you, I'm sure you guys have been saying it. This is what he did to create the conditions that led to the insurrection on January 6th.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store