Spencer Pratt, a former reality television star now running for Los Angeles mayor, has drawn national attention after detailing how city leadership failures directly caused his home to be destroyed in a January 2025 wildfire.

According to Pratt, then-LA Mayor Karen Bass was overseas in Africa during the crisis while her deputy mayor was under house arrest—a critical oversight that left emergency response systems unattended. “Mayor Bass never called for fixed-air wing support,” Pratt stated in an interview. “She was in Africa. Her deputy was on house arrest. LA city never even contacted the fire suppression teams.”

Pratt has filed legal claims against the city and state of Los Angeles, alleging mismanagement of water reservoirs that left critical areas without adequate emergency resources. He described watching his home burn through security cameras, including the loss of his son’s bed in a heart-shaped pattern. The campaign has gained momentum with viral advertisements that juxtapose his destroyed property with a simple airstream trailer—a “forward operating base” he describes for addressing systemic issues like homelessness and drug addiction.

Pratt, who previously starred in The Hills, has positioned himself as an outsider challenging established leaders. His campaign focuses on building dedicated facilities outside traditional urban settings to address these crises without the current system’s failures. “This is about the city failing its residents,” he stated. “I ran because I experienced what city leadership failure at the ultimate level looks like.”