Los Angeles Mayor Removes Fire Chief, Blaming Her for Lack of Preparation

Mayor Karen Bass of Los Angeles announced on Friday that she had removed the city’s fire chief weeks after a wildfire devastated the city’s Pacific Palisades neighborhood and led to an increasingly acrimonious dispute between the two officials.

Ms. Bass said in a statement that she had removed Kristin Crowley, effective immediately. The mayor criticized Ms. Crowley for sending home 1,000 firefighters the morning that the Palisades fire broke out on Jan. 7, the first of two major blazes that destroyed about 12,000 structures combined in Southern California last month.

She also accused Ms. Crowley of refusing to pursue an after-action report on the fires.

“These require her removal,” Ms. Bass said. “The heroism of our firefighters — during the Palisades fire and every single day — is without question. Bringing new leadership to the Fire Department is what our city needs.”

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.