LAFD’s Former Chief Sues City Following Dismissal After Palisades Fire
Los Angeles Fire Chief Ouster Leads to Lawsuit Against City
Kristin Crowley, the former chief of the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD), has filed a lawsuit against the city following her removal from the position in February. This decision came in the wake of the deadly Palisades Fire, which was one of California’s most destructive wildfires.
The lawsuit, alleging employment retaliation, cites violations of state labor code protections. Crowley’s dismissal arose after a public conflict with Mayor Karen Bass regarding the department’s response to the fire, which ignited on January 7, 2025, during severe Santa Ana winds.
Initially, Mayor Bass praised Crowley’s leadership during the incident, but she later criticized the deployment of resources, claiming that additional firefighters could have been dispatched on the day the blaze began. Crowley has since maintained a lower rank within the department.
In August, Crowley filed a legal claim, a precursor to the lawsuit. She accused Bass of an “orchestrated campaign of misinformation, defamation and retaliation” related to the fire’s management.
Court documents reveal Crowley’s assertion that Bass reversed her initial support as criticism of the mayor’s absence during the crisis intensified. Crowley alleges that Bass sought to deflect accountability by assigning blame to her department, disputing claims that contradict public records. Among these allegations, Crowley claims Bass wrongly asserted the LAFD had not faced budget cuts, impacting the department’s resources.
Furthermore, the lawsuit contends that Bass failed to inform Crowley about her international trip, which was part of a Biden administration delegation to Ghana. The mayor later described the trip as a “mistake.”
Crowley responded to her ouster with an 11-minute appeal to the City Council, which ultimately voted 13-2 to set aside the matter, ending her attempt for reinstatement. During this period, she reiterated concerns about the limitations faced by the department due to maintenance issues with fire engines, attributing some challenges to budget cuts affecting repair resources.
In the aftermath of the Palisades Fire, which resulted in twelve fatalities and the destruction of nearly 7,000 homes, a Florida man has been arrested and charged in relation to the incident. Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, pleaded not guilty to three federal arson charges. Authorities allege he started the Lachman Fire, which reignited and contributed to the Palisades Fire’s widespread devastation.
