Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has removed Fire Chief Kristin Crowley in response to the handling of the recent Palisades and Eaton fires, which resulted in dozens of fatalities and the destruction of hundreds of homes. Mayor Bass announced on Friday that former Chief Deputy Ronnie Villanueva, a 41-year veteran of the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD), will serve as the interim fire chief effective immediately.
The decision to remove Crowley comes in the aftermath of the fires that broke out in January, fueled by severe drought conditions and strong winds. In her statement, Bass emphasized concerns over Crowley’s leadership during the crisis.
“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,” Bass stated. “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.”
While Crowley has been removed as fire chief, she will remain with the department, exercising her civil service rights to stay at a lower rank. Her new duties will be assigned by Interim Chief Villanueva, according to the mayor’s office.
During a press conference today, Bass defended her decision and addressed concerns regarding her absence from the city when the fires broke out. The mayor had been in Ghana on a planned diplomatic trip at the time.
“What I can tell you is that in the two-plus years I’ve been here, every time there was a weather emergency or even a hint of a weather emergency, the chief has called me directly. She has my cellphone. She knows she can call me 24/7,” Bass said. “That did not happen this time.”
Bass further asserted that responsibility ultimately falls on her as mayor. “As the mayor of the city, the buck stops with me. I am in charge. However, the person in charge of the fire department should have taken appropriate action and kept me informed.”
Crowley, who had been the first woman to serve as the city’s fire chief, openly criticized Bass in a television interview on Jan. 10, saying the mayor had failed the city in her response to the fires.
The Palisades and Eaton fires, fueled by intense Santa Ana winds, tore through Southern California for nearly a month, making this one of the state’s most challenging fire seasons on record.
The Palisades Fire ignited on Jan. 7, rapidly spreading across 23,707 acres and burning for 44 days. That same day, the Eaton Fire erupted north of Pasadena, scorching 14,021 acres over a similar period. Both fires remain under investigation as authorities work to determine their causes.
According to preliminary CAL FIRE data, the Palisades Fire ranks among California’s most destructive wildfires. It destroyed more than 6,800 structures, surpassing the 2017 Tubbs Fire but trailing the Eaton Fire of 2025, which claimed over 9,400 structures. By comparison, the November 2018 Camp Fire remains the most devastating, with nearly 19,000 structures lost.
The fires claimed at least 29 lives as they tore through Malibu, the Pacific Palisades, and Los Angeles County, marking one of the deadliest wildfire events in recent years.
Ronnie Villanueva, the newly appointed interim fire chief, retired just seven months ago as Chief Deputy of Emergency Operations. With over four decades of service, he brings extensive experience in fire suppression, emergency management, and overseeing thousands of personnel within the LAFD.
“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 stated.
No comment has been made by Chief Crowley at this time.