Khloe Kardashian blasts Karen Bass over mayor’s response to LA wildfire crisis: ‘You are a joke’
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: As the devastating Los Angeles wildfires continue to spread, sparking countless theories and claims, many have been left mourning the loss of lives and homes.
Recently, Khloe Kardashian took to social media to voice her frustration, blasting LA Mayor Karen Bass in a scathing post on January 10, Saturday.
To provide some context, the LA wildfires, fueled by high winds and dry conditions, first erupted on January 7, Tuesday, in the Altadena area. The fires quickly escalated as winds reached speeds of over 80 mph, pushing the flames from the mountains into heavily populated areas such as Malibu and Pacific Palisades.
Khloe Kardashian calls out Mayor Karen Bass amid raging LA wildfires
(@kholekardashian/Instagram)
Khloe Kardashian fired off a sharp insult after LA Fire Chief Kristin Crowley revealed that significant budget cuts to the fire department had negatively affected their response to the catastrophic wildfires.
On her Instagram story, Khloe expressed her support for Crowley, writing, "I stand by YOU Chief Crowley!!!! You spoke the truth and you had tears in your eyes because I can tell you didn’t even want to say that but it was THE TRUTH!!!! Thank you being honest Chief Crowley."
However, following her praise for Crowley, Khloe didn’t hold back in criticizing LA Mayor Karen Bass, saying, "Mayor Bass you are a joke!!!!"
Her comments come as several members of the Kardashian-Jenner family became the latest celebrities to evacuate their homes due to the fires.
Khloe, along with Kim, Kris, Kourtney, Kylie, Kendall, and Rob, were forced to leave their homes in Calabasas and Hidden Hills when the nearby Kenneth fire broke out on Thursday, January 9, prompting mandatory evacuation orders.
While the evacuation order has since been lifted, it remains unclear whether the famous family has returned to their properties.
After Khloe's comments about LA Mayor Karen Bass, a source said Fire Chief Kristin Crowley was summoned for a meeting with the mayor to address her remarks. According to the source, Bass was far from pleased with the situation.
In response, Deputy Mayor of Communications, Zach Seidl, issued a statement to Fox News Digital, saying, "The Mayor and the Fire Chief are in lock step working together to save lives and protect property. Courageous firefighters are on the front lines of the firestorm. Resources from all levels of government are available to assist with recovery."
Celebrities criticize Los Angeles officials for lack of preparedness
Since the wildfire broke out on Tuesday, many celebrities have criticized Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles officials for their lack of preparedness and response to the crisis.
Sarah Michelle Gellar, in a now-deleted Instagram story on Tuesday, took aim at Bass, writing, "City of LA you want everyone to evacuate yet you have complete gridlock and not one traffic cop on the roads helping," tagging the official social media accounts of the city of Los Angeles and Bass.
Mauricio Umansky, founder and CEO of The Agency and star of Netflix's 'Buying Beverly Hills', spoke to Fox on Thursday, saying, "We are one of the largest economies in the world, California on its own. Los Angeles, you know, being the second-largest city in the country, our taxes are the highest-paying taxes in the country."
He went on to criticize the lack of preparation, stating, "And the fact that we were unprepared, I mean, we're not going to be able to stop an accident from happening, but the fact that our government was unprepared. We didn't do the brush clearance. We didn't have the water in the fire hydrants. We were unprepared, and we did not spend the money where we needed to spend the money."
In an appearance on 'Jesse Watters Primetime', Justine Bateman also criticized Los Angeles for failing to address the basics when it comes to wildfire preparedness, "If you are going to run a city or a state, you have to take care of the basics. That's to make sure that your fire and police departments are well-funded. … If you're not doing everything you can to take care of those problems if they arrive, then get out. You are useless to us. … You have destroyed people's lives."
