Feb. 22 (UPI) — Citing the city’s response to the region’s devastating wildfires, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass removed Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley from her role at the department.
“Acting in the best interests of Los Angeles’ public safety, and for the operations of the Los Angeles Fire Department, I have removed Kristin Crowley as Fire Chief,” Bass said in a statement on Friday.
“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.”
More than 25 people were killed and thousands of structures were destroyed after two wildfires broke out in early January. Crews were only able to contain the Eaton and Palisades fires earlier this month, CalFire, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, reported.
Bass on Friday appointed Ronnie Villanueva, a former LAFD Chief Deputy as the department’s interim chief. Villanueva has 41 years of experience as a firefighter and retired approximately seven months ago as the department’s chief deputy of emergency operations.
“While the Department is in the experienced and expert hands of Chief Villanueva, my office will lead a national search and I will speak directly with firefighters and Angelenos about what they want to see in their next permanent chief,” Bass said in the statement.
The mayor also took issue with Crowley’s refusal to acknowledge any problems or review strategy in the early days of the fires.
“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,” Bass said in the statement.
“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.”
Crowley, the first woman to lead the LAFD, will remain with the department in a lower role, as per the city’s employment rules. It wasn’t immediately clear where she would be assigned.
The former chief had previously expressed concern over more than $17 million in budget cuts to the department this year.