On Anniversary Of Los Angeles Wildfires, Bass And Newsom Lay Low

On the anniversary of the Los Angeles wildfires — and with many here still directing their anger at Gavin Newsom and Karen Bass — the governor and LA mayor stayed out of the spotlight.

Neither attended the public vigils, tributes, concerts and other ceremonies held in commemoration of twin blazes that took 31 lives and destroyed 13,000 homes across the region starting last Jan. 7. Instead, they met privately with survivors and civic leaders, visiting memorials and sharing some details after the fact.

Their decisions not to appear at the public events underscored the potential political peril the fires raise for them as Bass runs for reelection this year and Newsom prepares for a likely bid for president in 2028. The pair have faced intense criticism as wildfire survivors demand accountability for a slew of gaffes, including the failure of firefighters to fully extinguish a small fire days earlier that reignited into the inferno that later wiped out the Pacific Palisades.

The circumstances presented the duo with a no-win situation: Be there and face the wrath of fire-stricken residents or remain behind closed doors and look like they’re ducking their constituents.

Survivors who gathered Wednesday said they were upset but not surprised that the governor and mayor weren’t around.

“They’re smart enough to know that they would get pummeled if they showed up,” said Robert Toomire, 57, a Palisades resident.

While Newsom and Bass were no shows, numerous local and state lawmakers attended a series of events to commemorate the fires. In Altadena, an unincorporated community northeast of the city, hundreds came together in the morning at a business-space-turned-community hub to memorialize the 19 lives and 7,000 homes lost in the Eaton fire, which ignited the same day.

The mood was an emotional swirl, as participants and audience members blinked back tears listening to anecdotes of lost homes and livelihoods, expressed disgust at bureaucratic delays and at times found dark humor in the absurdities of the recovery process.

Assemblymember John Harabedian, who represents Altadena and attended the gathering, said it was necessary for elected officials to be present.

“We owe it to the community to be public facing. We owe it to them to be sitting next to them today, hearing them out, listening more than talking,” Harabedian said. “And I think all of our leaders, from our president on down to our local council members, should be doing this. We should be doing it every day.”

The governor crisscrossed the region Wednesday, starting at a charter high school in the Palisades, then touring a memorial and meeting with survivors in downtown Los Angeles, finishing with faith leaders at a church in Pasadena, a community adjacent to Altadena. All the events were closed to the public and press.

Tara Gallegos, a Newsom spokesperson, said the governor wanted to be with survivors and community members “in a forum where he could hear their stories, ask questions and gather information about how the state can continue to support their recovery.” She said the events were kept private to “foster intimate and candid conversations.”

Bass, who has no jurisdiction over Altadena, began the morning at a private vigil with Palisades residents and clergy. She later led a flag lowering ceremony in honor of the victims at City Hall.

“I remain committed to continuing to use the full-force of my mayoral power to restore the Palisades community and return families home as quickly and safely as possible,” the mayor said in a statement.

Newsom and Bass have promised full investigations into decisions surrounding the fires and have touted their efforts to speed the recovery, including a record-breaking pace for debris cleanup and the streamlining of the permit process to rebuild homes. They’ve also cited the extreme winds and parched earth the day of the fires with climate change lengthening and worsening wildfire seasons.

Residents’ anger at the governor and mayor were on full display midmorning Wednesday. Hundreds filled the streets around the Palisades’ town center where Jeremy Padawer, a toymaker who lost his home in the fire, led a protest he called “They Let Us Burn.”

Padawer raised a litany of problems, including the failure to put out the earlier fire, firefighter staffing shortages and a lack of water in hydrants during the blaze that he argued caused the loss of lives and property.

“This is going to go down as the most expensive, extensive leadership failure in the history of the United States of America,” Padawer said.

Just before the protest, civic leaders held a somber ceremony honoring the 12 people who lost their lives in the Palisades fire at the local American Legion post.

LA city councilmembers, state lawmakers and other elected officials joined as family members of those who died received American flags and white roses. Jim Cragg, the head of the community-led Palisades Long Term Recovery Group, said during the event that it was important for public officials to witness their constituents’ pain and determination.

“Today, they are here to look into the eyes and look into the faces of our Palisadians,” Cragg said. “I want them to understand the trauma and the loss and the heroic efforts that have brought us all together here in this room."

Councilmember Traci Park, who represents the Palisades, was the only one to speak both at the American Legion memorial and at the “They Let Us Burn” protest. She’s been the sole elected official widely singled out for praise across the community after the fire.

Park said in an interview that being present lets her understand what her constituents are going through, helping them cope with the disaster and recovery.

“I’ve been here on the ground since Jan. 7 and I’m not going anywhere,” Park said. “Regardless of where and how my constituents are acknowledging the day, I am here with them.”

Park gave a blistering speech at the protest where she ridiculed arguments that weather conditions caused the fire, instead blaming government failures including what she called decades of disinvestment into public safety. To cheers, she called for the crowd to keep pushing for accountability.

“Your fight is my fight,” she said. “I am your advocate and my goal is to get you home. Let’s take this anger and let’s end this culture of half-assed solutions.”

The coming year will determine much of the prospects for recovery. Just nine new homes, including small accessory dwelling units, have been finished in the burn zones so far, according to local government permit data, while thousands have applied to rebuild and hundreds of houses are under construction. Survivors have struggled with insurance gaps and other financial challenges and local and state governments face giant bills to rebuild critical infrastructure while also staring down budget deficits.

Congress and the Trump administration have not acted on Newsom’s request for $33.9 billion in long-term recovery funding, a theme raised at multiple events Wednesday.

Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, who represents Altadena, made pointed pleas to fellow elected officials in Washington DC for more aid at the morning gathering in that community.

“Don’t change the rules in the middle of the game. The scale of needs dwarfs the resources the county and the state have already provided,” Barger said. “I look forward to working with my colleagues in Washington DC – if you’re listening – to bring supplemental disaster aid to Los Angeles County.”

Barger, the sole Republican on the county board, told her counterparts in Washington that the aid was “not about politics, party or partisanship. This is about ensuring that survivors receive the support that they deserve.”