Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has sacked Fire Chief Kristin Crowley from her position after the devastating Palisades and Eaton fires, which started on January 7.
The fires resulted in numerous deaths and the destruction of hundreds of homes, and experts say they could be the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history.
The Mayor’s decision came after it was revealed that, on the morning the fires broke out, 1,000 firefighters were sent home instead of being deployed.
Mayor Bass stated that Crowley’s refusal to conduct an after-action report on the fires, as requested by the Fire Commission, led to her dismissal.
As a result of Crowley’s removal, Ronnie Villanueva, a retired deputy of emergency operations, has stepped in as the interim fire chief.
Bass has faced criticism for being in Ghana during the fires despite early warnings about the severe weather conditions.
A spokesperson for Bass explained that while the fire department had flagged the situation ahead of time, no such warning was issued before these fires.
Crowley had previously criticized Bass for not handling the situation properly, calling it a failure of leadership.