Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Kristin Crowley has been fired by Mayor Karen Bass.
Bass’s office made the announcement Friday morning, saying she had been removed from the post effective immediately. Retired Deputy Chief Ronnie Villanueva will serve as interim chief.
In a statement released to media Friday, Bass said the decision to remove Crowley from the position was made in the “best interests of Los Angeles‘ public safety, and for the operations of the Los Angeles Fire Department.”
The decision to remove Crowley comes amid a tennis match of accusations between the Mayor and the Chief.
Bass, who received widespread criticism for traveling to Ghana on an ambassadorial trip prior to the outbreak of the deadly January wildfires in the Palisades and San Gabriel Valley, has accused Crowley of underselling and failing to communicate the true risk of catastrophe before she departed on her trip.
Crowley has also fired back at the Mayor in the media, accusing Bass of failing her Department by not properly funding it—a contention that the Mayor’s Office rejected. The Los Angeles Fire Department ultimately received a $23 million boost in its budget, although some positions were ultimately cut.
Still, the decision to fire Crowley, according to Bass, is specifically for the handling of the Palisades Fire, which displaced tens of thousands of people and destroyed hundreds of homes and businesses.
“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 her statement. “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.”
Bass continued by saying those actions necessitated her removal, saying that, while firefighters worked heroically during the historic fires, the Department is in need of new leadership.
In the meantime, Villanueva will lead the LAFD, coming out of retirement to rejoin the Department he was part of for 41 years. Villanueva has served in various positions throughout the Department, with “decades of experience in fire suppression, emergency management, and the management of thousands of operational and support members of the LAFD.” He retired from LAFD only seven months ago.
Bass held a press conference Friday afternoon to discuss Crowley’s dismissal, reiterating comments made in her statement earlier in the day.
She said a national search would take place to find a permanent replacement to lead the Los Angeles Fire Department with “input” from firefighters and L.A. residents about what they would like to see in the next chief.
While attempting to keep the focus on the new interim chief, Bass was also questioned about the city’s overall response, including the LAFD budget.
“Let me just be clear about the budget: the Fire Department was not cut,” Bass said. “I have done two budgets in my time here. In both budgets, the budget was increased, and I will anticipate that it will be increased this time as well.”
During the brief media availability, Bass said the alleged refusal to conduct an after action report was among the main reasons for Crowley’s dismissal.
After word of Crowley’s firing began to circulate in L.A. political circles, local leaders and Bass critics began to release statements challenging the chief’s dismissal.
“I am outraged by the scapegoating revealed by the Mayor’s actions. I plan to use my authority as a Councilmember to set the record straight and encourage Chief Crowley to appeal the Mayor’s baseless termination to the City Council,” said City Councilmember Monica Rodriguez.
Developer Rick Caruso, who was defeated by Bass in the 2022 mayoral election, released a statement on social media in which he said the firing was “disappointing,” calling Crowley brave for her comments regarding the Fire Department’s budget and accusing Bass of not taking the fire risks seriously.
“The Mayor’s decision to ignore the warnings and leave the city was hers alone,” Caruso said. “This is a time for city leaders to take responsibility for their actions and their decisions. We need real leadership, not more blame passing.”
The union representing LAFD firefighters said its members “strongly oppose the termination of Chief Crowley.”
Crowley has exercised her right to remain with the Fire Department at a lower rank, officials announced Friday afternoon. Her duties will be assigned by Villanueva.
