Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has fired Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Kristin Crowley over the chief's handling of the Palisades fire. “Acting in the best interests of Los Angeles’ public safety, and for the operations of the Los Angeles Fire Department,

LOS ANGELES — Mayor Karen Bass removed the city’s fire chief, Kristin Crowley, on Friday, culminating an escalating blame game that has festered since devastating wildfires swept the city last month.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has removed Kristin Crowley as the city’s fire chief and has appointed former Chief Deputy Ronnie Villanueva to serve as interim chief. Bass’ administration has maintained that cuts to areas of the fire department’s budget did not impact firefighters’ ability to respond to the fires,