On Tuesday, , the former fire chief in Los Angeles, failed to regain her position after being removed from office by Mayor Karen Bass last month following the city’s most destructive wildfires. Crowley defended her actions in front of the LA city council, but the council voted 13-2 against her, supporting Bass’s decision. Bass claimed that she fired Crowley due to concerns over public safety, stating that Crowley had sent home 1,000 firefighters who could have been on duty during the fires and refused to prepare a necessary after-action report. However, Crowley denied these allegations, maintaining that the 40 fire engines were already staffed and responding to calls, and that her department had also communicated extensively about the upcoming weather events. The council ultimately sided with Bass, who had faced criticism for her absence in Africa during a presidential delegation on the day the fires began. The Palisades fire alone resulted in the destruction of nearly 8,000 structures and the deaths of at least 12 people, while a similar fire in Altadena caused more than 10,000 buildings to be damaged or destroyed, claiming at least 17 lives.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/04/kristin-crowley-fire-chief-karen-bass-appeal