Text messages show Mayor Karen Bass' response when she learned about the Palisades Fire

Newly released text messages from Mayor Karen Bass' phone reveal a bit about her immediate response when she learned about the Palisades Fire that erupted in the Pacific Palisades community on Jan. 7.

When the fire broke out around 10:30 a.m., Bass was in Ghana attending a reception with local and foreign officials for the swearing in of Ghana's President-elect John Dramani Mahama.

Bass' trip to Ghana has garnered criticism, given the fact that weather officials had warned about dangerous wind and fire conditions before the blaze erupted. An LA Times-UC Berkeley poll shows that 41% of residents in LA described Bass' response to the firestorm as poor or very poor.

Bass addressed the text messages at a news conference Friday morning. 

"What I would like the public to take from the text messages, is that although I was not here, I was engaged every minute I could possibly be engaged," Bass said. 

The text messages are not a reflection of Bass' entire communication. They do not include other messages, emails or phone calls the mayor may have had. The time stamps on the messages reflect the time zone Bass was in while she was in Ghana. 

The messages show that Bass received a message from her deputy chief of staff, Celine Cordero, at 6:48 p.m. while she was in Ghana, which would've been shortly before 11 a.m. in LA. Also included in the group chat was Bass' Deputy Mayor of Communications Zach Seidl and Chief of Staff Carolyn Webb de Macías.

"On phone with Chief Crowley now. 2 significant fires in city now. She will call you mayor," Cordero wrote. "Potential evacuations. Significant resources."

Cordero also noted the weather conditions, including that there were 40 mph winds while much of Southern California was experiencing a severe Santa Ana wind event.

The National Weather Service had issued a red flag warning for Jan. 7 for parts of LA and Ventura counties in preparation for a "particularly dangerous situation" caused by damaging wind gusts that were predicted to reach up to 80 mph. The NWS has also issued a fire watch for the same areas.

Within hours of erupting, the Palisades Fire grew and was fueled by wind gusts, spreading embers and igniting new hot spots.

Cordero's next message was sent at 7:33 p.m., giving Bass an update that an evacuation order was going to be sent.

"Palisades fire is now at 200 acres," Cordero wrote. "The Palisades Recreation Center will be used as an evacuation center."

The messages show LA County Board of Supervisors Lindsay Horvath texted the mayor at 7:50 p.m., asking if she needed additional support and if there was anything she wanted to put on her radar.

"Reaching out about the Palisades fire. I understand our County Fire Dept is supporting City and our Office of Emergency Management has been in touch with City staff, also," Horvath wrote.

Then at 8:07 p.m., Cordero told Bass that then-LA Fire Department Chief Kristin Crowley said homes would be lost soon and she would be meeting with her at the Emergency Operations Center soon.

Following the fires, Bass officially removed Crowley as chief on Feb. 21. Crowley appealed her removal to the LA City Council but was unsuccessful.

The messages then show Bass and her team working to coordinate her flight back to LA.

At 9:48 p.m., Bass sent a message reminding her team that she would have phone access while on the plane.

"I have phone access on the plane!!! If you see a strange number it's ME! 301 it will show as a military base," Bass wrote.

Then at 10:05 p.m., Cordero suggested having a call that the mayor could join.

"It would be great to pull together a GM call and have you join. Stress urgency, importance of all hands on deck? Departments need to have reps in EOC etc. During DC layover?" Cordero wrote.

While Bass was boarding a plane in Ghana heading back to LA, residents in the Pacific Palisades were being forced to evacuate and dozens had to abandon their vehicles on Pacific Coast Highway as flames crept closer, threatening homes and structures.

The morning of Jan. 8, Cordero sent Bass several updates from the LAFD while she was traveling back.

"From LAFD: We will be expanding the evacuation zone all the way to the Santa Monica city limits and all the way to the top of Mandiville Canyon," Cordero wrote at 2:54 a.m.

At 5:27 a.m., Cordero informed Bass that the LAFD said the fire had burned approximately 3,000 acres, all aircraft would be grounded due to wind and visibility concerns and that there were multiple civilian victims injured.

While Bass was flying back, she received messages from several local, state and federal officials offering their support, including Sen. Adam Schiff, Sen. Alex Padilla and Chief Executive Officer and Chief Engineer of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power Janisse Quiñones.

Bass also received several messages from individuals in former President Biden's administration.

Chair of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Kathryn Barger sent Bass a message at 5:50 a.m. informing her there was a fire in Altadena. Bass responded by asking if she was receiving full cooperation from her team.

"Absolutely… City has been incredible," Barger responded.

Data provided by FlightRadar, a flight tracking website, shows Bass' plane landed in Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland just after 2 a.m. local time on Jan. 8.

Bass then traveled to Dulles International Airport, where she boarded a flight to LAX. When she landed back in LA, it was around 11 a.m. local time on Jan. 8.

A few hours after landing, Bass said she spoke to Biden and was photographed with Newsom.