LA fire chief says city failed department during ongoing wildfires

13 hrs ago

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Karah Rucker Anchor

By Karah Rucker (Anchor), Jodie Hawkins (Senior Producer), Emma Stoltzfus (Video Editor)

The Los Angeles mayor’s office and the Los Angeles Fire Department are pushing back against speculation that the LAFD chief had been fired after saying the city failed her agency. This comes after Chief Kristin Crowley spoke candidly with Fox 11 Los Angeles Friday, Jan. 10 about budget cuts that she said has impacted firefighters’ abilities to battle the deadly wildfires still burning in the area. She also mentioned that around 20% of tapped hydrants went dry during attempts to fight the Palisades Fire.

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The reporter asked Crowley three times, “did they fail you?” in reference to city officials. Crowley eventually responded “yes.”

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Hours after the interview, The Daily Mail reported a source told them Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass fired Crowley over the comments. However, the mayor’s office and the LAFD both released statements that said the report wasn’t true, and that Crowley still has her position with the department.

On Saturday, Jan. 11, the mayor and chief appeared together at a news conference, putting forth a united front.

“We are both focused on our urgent needs to mitigate these devastating wildfires,” Crowley said. “Our top priority remains saving lives and protecting property.”

The mayor agreed, and said their number one mission is to get past the emergency situation.

As of the morning on Monday, Jan. 13, the wildfires killed 24 people and destroyed more than 12,000 structures, with Santa Ana winds set to make the battle even more challenging for firefighters.

LAFD Budget cuts

Budget cuts also continue to draw criticism.

CBS news reported Crowley brought up issues a month before the wildfires broke out, writing to the Board of Fire Commissioners in a memo on Dec. 4, that budget cuts have “adversely affected the department’s ability to maintain core operations.”

She pointed to a $7 million reduction in overtime hours, which limited the department’s capacity for responding to large-scale emergencies.

According to city documents, funding for the city’s fire department decreased by $17.6 million between the 2024-25 and the 2023-24 fiscal years.

Response to criticism

Bass maintains that the budget cuts are not impacting the department’s ability to handle the ongoing wildfires.

The top executive at the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power said the hydrants were empty because the system had been pushed to the extreme, with four times the normal demand. That extreme demand lowered water pressure, impacting certain areas.

All of LA’s 28 fire departments are fighting the fires, along with crews from five other states.

The California National Guard has also been called into help.

Tags: California, Karen Bass, Los Angeles, Money, Pacific Palisades, Wildfire

[Karah Rucker]

THE LOS ANGELES MAYOR’S OFFICE AND THE LOS ANGELES FIRE DEPARTMENT ARE PUSHING BACK AGAINST SPECULATION THAT THE L-A-F-D CHIEF HAD BEEN FIRED AFTER SAYING THE CITY FAILED HER AGENCY.

THIS COMES AFTER CHIEF KRISTIN CROWLEY SPOKE CANDIDLY WITH “FOX 11 LOS ANGELES” FRIDAY ABOUT BUDGET CUTS THAT SHE SAYS HAVE IMPACTED FIREFIGHTERS’ ABILITIES TO BATTLE THE DEADLY WILDFIRES STILL BURNING IN THE AREA … ALSO MENTIONING 20 PERCENT OF THE HYDRANTS TAPPED TO FIGHT THE PALISADES FIRE WENT DRY.

did the city of los angeles fail you and your department and our city? It’s my job to stand up as a chief and exactly say justifiably what the department needs to operate to meet the demands of the community… did they fail you .. that is our job and I tell ya that’s what Im here so lets get us what we need so our firefighters can do their jobs.. Did they fail you .. YES 1

JUST HOURS AFTER THE INTERVIEW … THE DAILY MAIL REPORTED A SOURCE TOLD THEM L-A MAYOR KAREN BASS FIRED CROWLEY OVER THE COMMENTS..

BUT THE MAYOR’S OFFICE AND THE L-A-F-D BOTH RELEASED STATEMENTS SAYING THAT WASN’T TRUE AND THAT SHE STILL HAS HER POSITION WITH THE DEPARTMENT.

ON SATURDAY, THE MAYOR AND CHIEF APPEARED TOGETHER AT A NEWS CONFERENCE … PUTTING FORTH A UNITED FRONT.

we are both focused on our urgent needs to mitigate these devastating wildfires.. Our top priority remains saving lives and protecting property

THE MAYOR AGREED SAYING THEIR NUMBER ONE MISSION IS TO GET PAST THE EMERGENCY SITUATION.

AS OF MONDAY MORNING, THE WILDFIRES HAVE KILLED 24 PEOPLE AND DESTROYED MORE THAN 12-THOUSAND STRUCTURES WITH SANTA ANA WINDS SET TO MAKE THE BATTLE EVEN MORE CHALLENGING FOR FIREFIGHTERS … AS BUDGET CUTS ALSO CONTINUE TO DRAW CRITICISM.

C-B-S NEWS REPORTS CHIEF CROWLEY BROUGHT UP ISSUES A MONTH BEFORE THE WILDFIRES BROKE OUT … WRITING TO THE BOARD OF FIRE COMMISSIONERS IN A MEMO ON DECEMBER FOURTH … THAT BUDGET CUTS HAVE “ADVERSLEY AFFECTED THE DEPARTMENT’S ABILITY TO MAINTAIN CORE OPERATIONS” POINTING TO A 7 MILLION DOLLAR REDUCTION IN OVERTIME HOURS WHICH LIMITED THE DEPARTMENT’S CAPACITY FOR RESPONDING TO LARGE-SCALE EMERGENCIES.

ACCORDING TO CITY DOCUMENTS FUNDING FOR THE CITY’S FIRE DEPARTMENT DECREASED BY 17-POINT-6 MILLION BETWEEN THE 2024-25 AND THE 2023-24 FISCAL YEARS.

MAYOR BASS MAINTAINS THAT THE BUDGET CUTS ARE NOT IMPACTING THE DEPARTMENT’S ABILITY TO HANDLE THE ONGOING WILDFIRES WHILE THE TOP EXECUTIVE AT THE L-A DEPARTMENT OF WATER AND POWER SAYS THE HYDRANTS WERE EMPTY BECAUSE THE SYSTEM HAD BEEN PUSHED TO THE EXTREME WITH FOUR TIMES THE NORMAL DEMAND WHICH LOWERED WATER PRESSURE.

ALL OF L-A’S 28 FIRE DEPARTMENTS ARE FIGHTING THE FIRES ALONG WITH CREWS FROM FIVE OTHER STATES.

CALIFORNIA’S NATIONAL GUARD HAS ALSO BEEN CALLED INTO HELP.

FOR SAN – I’M KARAH RUCKER … FOR ALL YOUR LATEST NEWS HEADLINES – DOWNLOAD THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP TODAY.