Amid the death and destruction of Los Angeles’ horrific wildfires, we’re finding that a segment of Americans care more about protecting the feelings of a politician than scrutinizing that politician’s failure to do her job.

As homes turn to ashes, memories disintegrate in the flames and at least 24 souls are tragically taken from this world, the epic incompetence of Mayor Karen Bass is plain: “You are a joke,” as reality star Khloe Kardashian, among many others, put it.

Bass left town for a trip to Africa despite wildfire warnings, cut the Fire Department’s budget, failed to clear dangerous brush and neglected the city’s water system.

Yet there are some who can’t comprehend the vitriol toward Bass as being anything other than racially motivated.

Some are signing a Change.org petition that labels those critical of Bass’ inept leadership as an attack on her blackness.

“We recognize the targeted attacks she continuously faces as a Black Female Executive,” the anonymous petition author claimed.

“By standing with Mayor Bass . . . we are taking a stand for truth, integrity and fairness in political discourse.”

One leftist X user complained, “Karen Bass is getting pummeled by the right and left for being a successful Black woman . . . It’s just a movement meant to hate on a Black woman.”

“They are gaslighting Karen Bass the same way they did Kamala Harris,” another railed. “I am sorry but we can’t minimize misogynoir.”

Hollywood actresses Yvette Nicole Brown and Kym Whitley rushed to Bass’ defense.

“She’s got a spine of steel, and she’s been a black woman in America for a really long time,” Brown told TMZ

“Stand behind her, support her, because you can see it in her face she stays calm,” Whitley exclaimed.

“We have fires every year, and  . . . I’ve never seen everybody react like this to the mayor and blame one person for a natural disaster,” Brown said. “Now what’s different this time?”

Here’s what is different this time: Not the complexion of the mayor’s skin but the magnitude of the devastation on her watch.

Even California Gov. Gavin Newsom acknowledges that these fires may be one of the worst natural disasters in US history in terms of cost.

With devastation of this magnitude, the city’s leader is deservedly on the receiving end of much of the ire.

People aren’t blaming her for the fires themselves — they’re blaming her for her ill preparedness and abject incompetence.

The optics of her standing in silence at the airport with no answers in front of reporters as she returned from her unnecessary junket to Ghana are sickening to those who just lost everything they owned.

When firefighters angrily and impotently stand by and watch a home burn down simply because the hydrants have run dry, they will rightfully point their fingers at the person who is in charge, regardless of how much melanin is in her skin.

We shouldn’t say that more black people should be in positions of power and then remove their ownership of the failures they have overseen.

If we want an equal society, that means equality of blame, as well as of praise.

It means that when you’re the most powerful person in a city, the job must come with criticism — both fair and unfair — for the problems created under your reign.

Karen Bass’ defenders like the idea of a black person being anointed with the title of leader, but hate to see her expected to actually lead.

They claim they want equality in leadership roles, but repeatedly show that when equal scrutiny is applied, they’d prefer to demand special treatment.

The priority to defend Bass, and minimize the overwhelming reasons for demanding her resignation, is anything but empowering.

Left-wing ideologues infantilize black people — believing they should shield us from criticism when one of us fails to live up to our promises, rather than letting us build resiliency by fighting our own battles.

And this blind reflex of excusing someone due to their immutable characteristics will only backfire: What voter would want to promote to a position of distinguished authority someone who cannot be critiqued?

Karen Bass supporters clearly believe she’s incapable of persevering in these tumultuous times without using her skin color as a cloak to hide from the accountability anyone in a position of executive authority deserves.

Criticizing Karen Bass isn’t racist. Demanding she be given special treatment is.

Adam B. Coleman is the author of “Black Victim to Black Victor” and founder of Wrong Speak Publishing.