By: Eye On Inglewood Staff Writer
photo courtesy of Richard Vogel/AP/File
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass announced on Friday that she has terminated Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley, partially due to her handling of last month's devastating wildfires, which have been among the most destructive in California's history.
Bass stated that the decision was made “in the best interests of Los Angeles’ public safety and the operations of the Los Angeles Fire Department.”
The catastrophic Palisades and Eaton fires, which began on January 7, have claimed the lives of 29 people and scorched over 37,000 acres.
“We know that 1,000 firefighters who could have been deployed on the morning the fires erupted were instead sent home under Chief Crowley’s leadership,” Bass said in her statement. “Additionally, the President of the Fire Commission instructed Chief Crowley to conduct an after-action report on the fires as part of an investigation, but she refused. These factors necessitate her removal.”
Bass has appointed former Chief Deputy Ronnie Villanueva, a 41-year veteran of the department, as the interim fire chief.
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