Screenshots show Bass received a text in a group chat about the fires at 6:48 p.m. Ghana time on Sept. 7 or 10:48 a.m. LA time.

The LA Times sued the local city government, accusing officials of breaking the law by withholding and deleting the mayor’s text messages and other records from the wildfires.

Palisades Fire initially started 10:30 a.m. Jan. 7 in Los Angeles County. It has burned 23,448 acres after being active for 79 days. A crew of 800 firefighters managed to contain the blaze entirely by Thursday noon. The fire's cause remains under investigation.

The messages paint a picture of a mayor anxious to get back to L.A. and slightly frustrated with some technical troubles while leading from abroad.

Powerful Santa Ana winds, with gusts reaching hurricane strength, swept down the mountains outside Los Angeles and spread wildfires into several neighborhoods in early January 2025, creating a terrifying scene. More than 15,000 homes and other structures ...