Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass on Friday ousted the chief of the city's Fire Department, weeks after blazing wildfires devastated the area.
The move comes amid ongoing scrutiny of the city's response to wildfires that killed at least 28 people, destroyed more than 15,000 structures and impacted an untold number of lives.
The mayor's office released a statement saying it was removing Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Kristin Crowley and naming Chief Deputy Ronnie Villanueva her replacement.
Bass' decision comes weeks after the Palisades and Eaton wildfires in early January that devastated communities across the county.
The blazes broke out on Jan. 7, when the Palisades Fire erupted, burning nearly 24,000 acres and destroying over 9,000 structures. The Eaton fire sprouted up hours later near Pasadena, taking with it over 9,000 structures.
Bass announced the move on X, writing: "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. 1,000 firefighters were sent home on Chief Crowley's watch the day the fires broke out. Chief Crowley refused to do an after action report on the fires."
Interim Chief Villanueva was seven months into his retirement when he was appointed to help run the department. He is a 41-year veteran of the Los Angeles Fire Department, the release says.
Bass is facing criticism over two issues in particular: a funding cut to the Los Angeles Fire Department in the fire-prone region and the timing of a diplomatic trip to Ghana as dangerous fire conditions loomed.
Budget documents obtained by USA TODAY show that the Los Angeles Fire Department's budget was reduced from $837 million in fiscal year 2024 to $819 million in fiscal year 2025 as a part of broader cuts for the year.
"LAFD's operating budget did get reduced by $17.6 million - part of that reduction included 61 total positions (civilian) being eliminated," the city's controller's office said in comments sent to USA TODAY accompanying the documents.
A report from the fire department sent to the mayor and city council in December says: "These budgetary reductions have adversely affected the Department's ability to maintain core operations."
Bass said in a news conference that "there were no reductions that were made that would have impacted the situation over the last couple of days."
Bass was out of the country as the Palisades caught fire on a diplomatic trip to attend the inauguration of Ghana's President John Dramani Mahama on Saturday.
Critics slammed Bass for taking the trip after the National Weather Service forecasted "A LIFE-THREATENING, DESTRUCTIVE, Widespread Windstorm" for the area and for not returning sooner.
Bass pushed back in a press conference saying that she was in "constant contact" during the fires and had taken the "fastest route back."
Contributing by James Powell, a Trending News Reporter for USA TODAY.
Ernesto Centeno Araujo covers breaking news for the Ventura County Star. He can be reached at ecentenoaraujo@vcstar.com. Michael Loria is a national news reporter for USA TODAY.
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