LOS ANGELES (AP) — A lawsuit has been filed by the former Los Angeles fire chief against the city, claiming that her ouster was part of a coordinated effort to tarnish her reputation and deflect accountability for the most destructive wildfire in LA history by Mayor Karen Bass.
Kristin Crowley was dismissed by Bass a month after the January 2025 Palisades Fire, leading to a dispute over the fire’s aftermath and the fire department’s funding. Crowley’s appeal to regain her job was denied by the City Council in March of that year.
The lawsuit filed by Crowley accuses Bass of spreading misinformation to shield her political image post-fire.
The mayor’s office has refuted the claims made in the lawsuit.
Yusef Robb, a senior adviser to Bass, stated, “Ms. Crowley was removed from her post for her failure to predeploy and her decision to send 1,000 firefighters home instead of keeping them on duty on the morning the fires broke out.”
Crowley alleges that Bass attempted to divert attention from criticism over being in Africa for a presidential delegation when the fire erupted, despite prior warnings of dangerous wildfire conditions.
The lawsuit claims that Bass made false statements to shift blame away from her decisions and avoid accountability.
Crowley seeks unspecified economic and compensatory damages in the legal filing.
Bass fired Crowley six weeks after the LA fire began, citing failure to deploy additional firefighters and refusal to prepare a critical report on the fires.
Crowley disputes Bass’s claims in her legal filing.
The Palisades Fire started on January 7 in heavy winds, causing significant destruction in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood. Another fire in Altadena on the same day resulted in further devastation.
After being removed from her position, Crowley was demoted to assistant chief and currently holds a “special duty” role in the fire department’s Risk, Health and Safety Division.
