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7h ago

Ousted L.A. Fire Chief Files Tort Claim Accusing Mayor Bass of Defamation Over Palisades Fire

The pre-lawsuit filing alleges the mayor spread falsehoods about LAFD staffing during a disaster now under federal review.

FILE - Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Kristin Crowley talks during a news conference at Harbor–UCLA Medical Center in the West Carson area of Los Angeles, Feb. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel, File)
La alcaldesa de Los Ángeles, Karen Bass, y la jefa del LAFD, Kristin Crowley.
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Overview

  • Crowley’s tort claim, filed Aug. 20, seeks a public retraction and apology from Mayor Karen Bass and unspecified damages above $25,000.
  • Crowley alleges Bass cut the fire department’s operating budget by roughly $17.6–$18 million and eliminated maintenance roles, saying those reductions left too few working vehicles to pre-deploy 1,000 additional firefighters on Jan. 7.
  • Mayor Bass has asserted that about 1,000 firefighters could have been kept on duty and that Crowley refused to prepare an after-action report, claims Crowley disputes as false.
  • Crowley was removed as chief on Feb. 21 after the deadly January Palisades Fire; the City Council later rejected her bid for reinstatement, and retired deputy Ronnie Villanueva serves as interim chief.
  • The city’s after-action report remains delayed at the request of the U.S. Attorney’s Office as investigations continue, and the mayor’s office declined to comment on the filing.