Los Angeles Fireplace Chief Kristin Crowley has been eliminated by Mayor Karen Bass within the wake of the devastating Palisades and Eaton fires that killed dozens and destroyed a whole lot of properties.
Bass stated on Friday that she eliminated Crowley as a result of firefighters had been despatched dwelling as an alternative of getting used when the fires broke out final month.
“We all know that 1,000 firefighters that would have been on obligation on the morning the fires broke out had been as an alternative despatched dwelling on Chief Crowley’s watch,” Bass stated in a press release. “Moreover, a needed step to an investigation was the President of the Fireplace Fee telling Chief Crowley to do an after motion report on the fires. The Chief refused. These require her removing.”
Los Angeles Metropolis Fireplace Division Chief Kristin Crowley is seen right here in Lengthy Seaside, Calif., Dec. 5, 2024.
Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Instances through Getty Pictures, FILE
Ronnie Villanueva, a retired LA Fireplace chief deputy of emergency operations, has been appointed as interim chief.
Bass has confronted super strain and questions surrounding her choice to attend an occasion in Ghana when the fires broke out on Jan. 7, regardless of days of warnings in regards to the unprecedented climate occasion that drove the fires.
Earlier this week, a consultant for Bass stated that previous to climate emergencies the mayor’s workplace obtained calls from the hearth division flagging the severity of the scenario, however that decision by no means got here earlier than these fires.
Crowley brazenly criticized Bass in a neighborhood TV interview on Jan. 10, saying Bass had failed the town.
This can be a growing story. Please test again for updates.
