LA Mayor Karen Bass Cuts Fire Dept. Budget by $17.6 Million Months Before 1,300 Homes Burned in the Palisades

The Mayor of Los Angeles Karen Bass cut the LA Fire Dept. budget by $17.6 million several months ago. The Mayor, who is on a junket to Ghana in West Africa, could not be reached for comment.

The Los Angeles Fire Department had its budget cut by a staggering $17.6 million this financial year, records show — as fire crews continue to battle out-of-control blazes ravaging the City of Angels.

The drastic decrease in funding for the fire department was the second-largest cut to come out of embattled Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass‘ 2024-25 fiscal year budget, according to city figures.

The police budget, meanwhile, increased by $126 million, a graphic shared by LA City Controller Kenneth Mejia shows.