Democratic Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is facing backlash after claiming on CNN that outspoken Pacific Palisades fire survivors — including former reality television personality Spencer Pratt — are spreading “misinformation” that is further traumatizing displaced residents.
Bass made the remarks during an appearance on CNN’s The Story Is With Elex Michaelson, where she was asked about the city issuing its first certificate of occupancy for a rebuilt home in the Palisades since the devastating wildfire.
Bass Defends Rebuild Pace, Says Critics Ignore Progress
“Yes, but let me just say that there has been a lot of progress. Things have been moving fast,” Bass said. “However, people are still out of their houses and so until somebody is completely back at home in their community, it’s not helpful to hear how fast everything is going.”
Bass said over 340 properties are currently under construction — roughly 5% of the structures destroyed in the fire — and compared Los Angeles’ timeline to the fires in Hawaii, asserting the city is “a year to two years ahead of what happened over in Hawaii.”
“We have over 2,000. We’ve issued over 1,100 permits for about 600 properties,” Bass said. She added that “individuals on social media” are “deliberately” spreading false information about the rebuilding process, which she argued “continues to traumatize people in the Palisades by saying no permits have been issued, things are going slow and not acknowledging what actually is happening.”
Criticism Over Developer Home Sparks Dispute
On Friday, city officials announced the first completed home — a project by developer Thomas James Homes (TJH). Bass said the city remains “committed to expediting every aspect of the rebuilding process, until every family is back home.”
The announcement drew major criticism over the weekend, with residents noting that the developer began its application process two months before the fire began.
Bass claimed the TJH home had been “burnt down” in the Palisades Fire, while acknowledging no family had ever lived in it.
When CNN’s Michaelson asked if she was referring to Pratt — who publicly highlighted the permit timeline — Bass replied, “Well, that’s actually not accurate, but Spencer Pratt is deliberately not accurate, but I was not just referring to him. There are several people who deliberately put out misinformation and to me that just continues to traumatize a population that is already traumatized.”
Permit Records Contradict Bass’ Timeline
When pressed on the permit history, Bass said she believed a permit was submitted but “nothing happened” with it until it was resubmitted in April, after the fire.
However, records from the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety show the initial permit submission was filed November 8, 2024, followed by multiple updates — including corrections and plan pickups on November 25, 2024. The applicant addressed additional corrections in March before receiving plan check approval in April.
Massive Destruction Across the County
The Pacific Palisades Fire destroyed 6,837 structures, including residential and commercial buildings. When combined with the simultaneous Eaton Fire on the county’s east side, total destruction exceeds 16,000 structures.
The exchange between Bass, Michaelson, and survivors such as Pratt underscores deep tensions between city officials and residents who remain displaced a year after the fires and remain critical of local and state leadership.
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Sounds to me like ‘da mayor’ is being ‘almost’ as ‘helpful’ as Maui mazie has been – IOW basically not at all. Someone needs to ask her point blank where all of those displaced residents and businesses are currently hanging out and who is paying for their care and feeding.
They elected it they can live with it.