Former Los Angeles mayoral candidate Rick Caruso is stoking speculation about his political future as he becomes one of the most vocal Democratic critics of the handling of the wildfires that have ravaged parts of the region.

At this point, it remains to be seen just how vulnerable Bass is due to her perceived failure to prepare and then respond to the fires.

The man who was almost Mayor of LA was sure talking like a candidate on HBO tonight in the ongoing fallout of the devastating LA wildfires

"And for those that don't know, the Brentwood area, it's 15 minutes from where the Palisades fire was. There's 40-year-old vegetation between Brentwood and the Palisades. And at that time, I said, if that fire travels,

Developer Rick Caruso, who built and owns the Rosewood Miramar Beach in Montecito, is speaking out about his Palisades property.

Caruso, a candidate who lost the 2022 election to Mayor Karen Bass, owns shopping centers across the region, including the Grove in Fairfax, the Americana at Brand in Glendale and Palisades Village, a retail-residential complex in the Palisades that was damaged in the blaze.

The former Republican and mayoral candidate is riling up California's moderates amid the destruction, but will it work?

Why did water hydrants run dry in the midst of a conflagration? City officials stressed that the shortage was due to low water pressure, not a complete lack of water. But what caused it, and can it be prevented?

Caruso said poor preparation led to the Palisades Fire's devastation and said he believes the damage could have been mitigated, but officials are making excuses.

Real estate tycoons Rick Caruso, Grant Cardone and Robert Rivani claim corruption and mismanagement is behind SoCal inferno.

Amid the devastation of the fires, private firefighters have sparked anger, a sign of inequality between the city's wealthiest residents and those struggling to rebuild.

REAL TIME WITH BILL MAHER returns for its 23rd season FRIDAY, JANUARY 17 (10:00-11:00 p.m. ET/7:00-8:00 p.m. PT) on HBO and will be available to stream on Max.