- Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass fired the city’s fire chief, Kristin Crowley. Bass’s office made the announcement, saying Crowley had been removed from the post effective immediately.
- Bass cited Crowley’s response to last month’s wildfires, including sending firefighters home instead of having them on duty.
- During an interview in January, Crowley said the city “failed” her because of budget cuts.
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Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass ousted the city’s fire chief over her handling of last month’s devastating wildfires. The decision comes amid tension between the two over the city’s fire response.
In a statement, Bass said she met with Kristin Crowley on Friday, Feb. 21, and her termination is effective immediately.
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Bass cited Crowley’s response to the blazes, including sending 1,000 firefighters home instead of having them on duty the morning the fires broke out on Jan. 7.
She added, “Furthermore, a necessary step to an investigation was the president of the fire commission telling Chief Crowley to do an after action report on the fires. The chief refused. These require her removal.”
Bass vs. Crowley
Bass and Crowley engaged in a back-and-forth of accusations amid the wildfires.
The mayor accused Crowley of failing to communicate the true risk of catastrophe before she departed on a trip to Ghana.
Crowley responded to the mayor in the media, accusing Bass of failing her department by not adequately funding it.
Bass, who was criticized for her poorly timed trip to Ghana, acknowledged in an interview on Wednesday, Feb. 19, that the trip was a mistake. However, in hindsight, she said she was not fully informed about the escalating fire risks at the time of her departure.
Bass returned to Los Angles on a military flight the day after the fires began.
The Palisades and Eaton wildfires are among the most destructive fires in the state’s history.
At least 29 people died, and the wildfires torched more than 37,000 acres.
Who will take over the department?
Former Chief Deputy Ronnie Villanueva has been appointed as LA’s interim fire chief.
Crowley has not publicly commented on her firing.
