Wait, So No One Was Really in Charge in LA When the Fires Broke Out?

So, who was in charge amid the chaos of the Los Angeles County fires, which are still raging? Mayor Karen Bass was in Ghana for the inauguration of that nation’s president. Her atrocious response about this African trip, her absence at the start of the crisis, and whether she regrets cutting the Los Angeles Fire Department’s budget by almost $20 million was well-documented—she said nothing as she stormed past reporters. 

It's customary that the deputy mayor would be in charge. Still, we must revisit older details that have reemerged with his natural disaster since LA's deputy mayor got ensnared in a federal kerfuffle: He allegedly made a bomb threat to city hall. FBI agents raided his home a few weeks ago, where he was later placed on leave. This incident occurred last December (via Fox News): 

The deputy mayor of Los Angeles was placed on leave after an investigation allegedly determined he made a bomb threat against City Hall earlier this year. 

FOX 11 in Los Angeles reported that LA Deputy Mayor Brian Williams’ Pasadena, California home was raided by the FBI o... in connection with an investigation into a bomb threat against City Hall back in September. The FBI did not make any arrests at the time of the search. 

… LA Mayor Karen Bass’s office released a statement on Williams’ being placed on leave. 

So if the Deputy Mayor of LA is on leave because he’s under FBI investigation for calling in a bomb threat to City Hall, and the Mayor was in Africa, who tf was running the city during the fire warnings and when it was burning to the ground???

— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) January 10, 2025

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So, uh

If LA’s Deputy Mayor was placed on leave in mid December

And if Karen Bass was in Ghana

—who was in charge of LA when these fires started? pic.twitter.com/limy3CF1Ey

— John Hasson (@SonofHas) January 9, 2025

Holy cr*p. The Los Angeles Deputy Mayor is under investigation for allegedly calling in a bomb threat to City Hall. The FBI raided his home a few weeks ago and he was placed on leave. pic.twitter.com/OzJBmXvz0k

— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) January 9, 2025

So, again, who was in charge? When this fiasco gets resolved, it makes for another line of inquiry, but not before we tally what will be the costliest wildfire in American history.