Overview
- Fire Chief Jaime Moore acknowledged multiple edits that reduced criticism of department leadership in the after-action report on the Palisades Fire, which killed 12 people.
- Fire Commission President Genethia Hudley Hayes said interim Chief Ronnie Villanueva told her a working draft was sent to Mayor Karen Bass’ office, which requested “refinements”; the mayor’s office says it did not demand changes and sought accuracy checks.
- The Los Angeles Times reviewed seven drafts and found key revisions, including the removal of language that said pre-deployment decisions “did not align” with policy, replaced by praise that staffing went above the usual matrix.
- Report author Battalion Chief Kenneth Cook refused to endorse the public version, citing substantial modifications and deletions, and internal emails show a crisis-management workgroup was formed to shape communications.
- Moore detailed operational fixes already in place, including stricter mop-up, drone use for post-suppression checks, and changes to dispatch and pre-deployment, while the firefighters’ union highlights persistent staffing shortfalls and a planned funding ballot measure.