Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass came under sharp criticism for her response to a series of raging wildfires on Thursday, while President-elect Donald Trump sought to blame California Gov. Gavin Newsom for the deadly disaster.
The criticism, fanned by Trump and his allies across social media, has triggered a political clash over the two massive wildfires menacing Los Angeles from the east and west. At least five people have died in what has developed into one of the biggest natural disasters in California's history.
The mayor, who was on an official trip to Ghana when the fires broke out on Tuesday, faced questions about her initial absence, given that the National Weather Service of Los Angeles began warning about "extreme fire weather conditions" last week.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.