Report: Fire chief ousted over inaction during LA fires

LOS ANGELES - Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass ousted Fire Chief Kristin Crowley over her handling of the Palisades fire on Friday, adding to the turmoil that has enveloped City Hall.

Bass took the step after publicly ramping up criticism of Crowley in recent days, complaining that she had not heard from the chief until after the fire broke out, while also questioning the chief’s deployment decisions, the Los Angeles Times reported.

“We know that 1,000 firefighters that could have been on duty on the morning the fires broke out were instead sent home on Chief Crowley’s watch,” Bass said in a statement Friday announcing Crowley’s firing.

The mayor also alleged that the chief had refused to participate in an after-action report on the fires after being asked to do so by Fire Commission President Genethia Hudley Hayes, a Bass appointee.

A Times investigation found that LAFD officials chose not to order roughly 1,000 firefighters to remain on duty for a second shift as winds were building — which would have doubled the personnel on hand when the Palisades fire broke out the morning of Jan. 7.

Crowley had publicly expressed concerns about a $17.4 million cut to the department’s 2025 budget, which included reductions in overtime staffing.