Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is under investigation as wildfires rage in California

An expressionless Los Angeles mayor, Karen Bass, refused to answer reporters’ questions after being pressed about her first absence as wildfires raged through her jurisdiction.

“Do you owe the citizens an apology for being away while their homes burned? And do you regret cutting the fire department’s budget by millions of dollars, Madam Mayor?” asked Sky News reporter David Blevins as Bass was waiting to fly on Wednesday after his trip to Ghana.

“You have absolutely nothing to say to the citizens today?” he added.

CALIFORNIA FIRES ACROSS LOS ANGELES COUNTY, THOUSANDS NEEDED TO EVACUATE

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass listens as Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks as he visits fire damage in the city on Wednesday. (Mayor Karen Bass / X)

Bass refused to acknowledge the reporter and continued to ignore questions while looking at the ground.

“No apology to them? Do you think you should have been visiting Ghana while this was going on at home?” he said.

“Madam mayor, let me ask you again, do you have anything to say to the citizens today when you return?” he said.

The Palisades Fire burns a structure in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles on Wednesday. (AP Photo/Eugene Garcia)

On Wednesday, during a late-afternoon news conference in Los Angeles, Bass said she took the “fastest route back,” adding that she used a military aircraft for her quick arrival.

“I took the fastest route back, which included being on a military plane, which facilitated our communication,” she said, acknowledging that she was thousands of kilometers away when the first wildfires broke out on Tuesday. “So I was able to be on the phone the whole time during the flight.”

LOS ANGELES MAYOR CUTS FIRE BUDGET LAST YEAR, PRIORITY HOMELESS POPULATION

“We’re fighting for you and everyone in Los Angeles,” she said, appearing to read prepared remarks.

At one point during the press conference, the mayor’s notes seemed to confuse her, and she mistakenly said, “Emergency information, resources and shelter are available. All of this can be found at URL.”

Bass’ leadership has been in the spotlight as many have blamed her for the disaster, pointing to the massive budget cuts she made to critical firefighting forces that she used to spend on the city’s homeless population.

For the financial year 2023-2024, Los Angeles budgeted $837 million for the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD), which was about 65% of the size of the homeless budget of $1.3 billion.

From the 2023-2024 to 2024-2025 budgets, the LAFD’s budget was reduced b.y $17,553,814 from $837,191,237 to $819,637,423.

Vehicles and a house burn as high winds fueling devastating wildfires in the Los Angeles area force people to evacuate, at the Eaton Fire in Altadena, California, on Wednesday. (Reuters/David Swanson)

Bass’ arrival on the scene comes as wildfires continue to rage in Los Angeles County, leaving hundreds of thousands of residents under evacuation orders.

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Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna told Fox News that five people have been killed in the Eaton fire Wednesday afternoon.

Fox News Digital has reached out to Bass’ office for comment.

Fox News Digital’s Breck Dumas contributed to this report.