Embattled Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is once again at the center of controversy after social media photos showed that she was at a cocktail party in Ghana as the Palisades Fire exploded. Bass was in the African nation as part of a delegation sent by the Biden administration for the inauguration of Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama, the Los Angeles Times reported on Tuesday.

Bass appeared to be posing for photos just before 8:00 p.m. local time, which was 12 p.m. in Los Angeles, according to the Los Angeles Times. Moments later, evacuation orders were issued due to the Palisades Fire.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass smiles for a photo while attending an embassy cocktail party in Ghana on Jan. 7, 2025.  (Instagram/@maristagram)

“The presidential delegation was hosted by the United States ambassador to Ghana on the way to the plane,” said Bass spokesperson Zach Seidl said, according to the LA Times. “For the majority of the time, the mayor was in a different room on calls from LA.”

A spokesperson for the US ambassador to Ghana told the LA Times that Mahama held the reception for the American delegation before they were set to return to the United States on a military plane.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass smiles for a photo while attending an embassy cocktail party in Ghana on Jan. 7, 2025.  (Instagram/@maristagram)

Los Angeles residents have been grappling with the devastating wildfires for more than a week. As of Wednesday morning, at least 24 people have been confirmed dead, though that number is expected to rise, according to officials. Additionally, dozens are missing.

Per Cal Fire, more than 12,300 homes, schools and businesses have been destroyed in the inferno.

The Palisades Fire ravages a neighborhood amid high winds in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025.  (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)

In 2021, Bass told the New York Times that she did not plan to travel abroad, saying “the only places I would go would be D.C., Sacramento, San Francisco and New York, in relation to LA.”

Bass’ office has not responded to a request for comment.