Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley fired as Mayor Karen Bass cites wildfire failures

Author: Ryan Adamczeski

Los Angeles’ fire chief has been removed from duty, with Mayor Karen Bass citing her alleged failures in dealing with unprecedented wildfires.

The mayor announced Friday that she is replacing Kristin Crowley, an out lesbian, and appointing former Chief Deputy Ronnie Villanueva, a 41-year LAFD veteran, as Interim Fire Chief. Bass claimed in a statement that she was “acting in the best interests of Los Angeles’ public safety.”

“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. “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.”

“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,” she added.

Apparent tensions between Bass and Crowley have been growing since the outbreak of the wildfires. Bass’ Administration cut the LAFD’s funding by $17.6 million in the 2025 fiscal year — which started on July 1, 2024 — prompting Crowley to tell FOX LA last month that “the fire department needs to be properly funded,” citing the cuts as the reason for “delays” in service.

Bass said just last week that Crowley failed to warn her about the dangerous fire conditions before she left for a trip to Ghana. Spokesperson Zach Seidl said in a statement: “Before other major weather emergencies, the mayor — or at minimum, the mayor’s chief of staff — has received a direct call from the fire chief, flagging the severity of the situation. This time, that call never came.” However, the National Weather Service and other media outlets had been reporting on the conditions almost a week prior.

Crowley has also been blamed without evidence for the severity of the fires, with conservatives claiming she’s a “DEI hire” or isn’t qualified for the position. Crowley, who became the city’s first woman fire marshal in 2016 and its first LGBTQ+ fire chief in 2022, has over 25 years of experience in the department.

Billionaire Democrat Rick Caruso, a candidate for LA mayor, called Crowley’s firing “very disappointing,” and accused Bass of retaliating against her over her comments.

“Chief Crowley served Los Angeles well and spoke honestly about the severe and profoundly ill-conceived budget cuts the Bass administration made to the LAFD,” he wrote on Twitter/X. “That courage to speak the truth was brave, and I admire her. Honesty in a high city official should not be a firing offense. The Mayor’s decision to ignore the warnings and leave the city was hers alone. This is a time for city leaders to take responsibility for their actions and their decisions. We need real leadership, not more blame passing.”

Original Article on The Advocate
Author: Ryan Adamczeski