Mayor Karen Bass has been engulfed in a storm of controversy following last month’s devastating fires that swept through the city. Now, according to a recent POLITICO report, she has found herself in a public clash with firefighters.
Few in the city hold as much public support—and political influence—as the firefighters who battled the historic blazes. Their strong opposition to Bass’s decision to remove Fire Chief Kristin Crowley has only added to the mounting challenges for a mayor already facing criticism over her response to the disaster.
On Sunday, Freddy Escobar, president of the United Firefighters of Los Angeles City, condemned Bass’s move, accusing her of using Crowley as “a scapegoat to distract from the failure of the city and complete neglect of the fire department.”
“We don’t have enough firefighters, not enough working rigs, broken down fire hydrants and a water supply that ran dry, but Chief Crowley is the one who gets terminated? It doesn’t make sense,” he added.
The union is gearing up for a strong push in support of Crowley if she chooses to appeal her dismissal—an uphill battle that would require a two-thirds vote from the City Council. Regardless of the outcome, the fight is sure to generate another wave of intense media scrutiny.
“Politically, fire fighters have a tremendous amount of sway,” said Rebecca Ninburg, a former fire commissioner. “You’re endorsed by firefighters, [it’s like] you’re endorsed by puppies and rainbows. These are America’s heroes.”
Bass’s close advisers recognize that a clash with firefighters is far from ideal. However, her team maintains that removing Crowley was a necessary decision based on her performance during the fire. They argue that Bass had no choice but to rip off the Band-Aid, weather the backlash, and focus on rebuilding the city.
“Sometimes what’s good for the city is not what’s good politically, ” said one outside adviser to Bass, who was granted anonymity to speak frankly. “This is one of those times, but courage does matter at the end of the day. ”
Crowley’s dismissal was, in some ways, expected. While the fires were still raging last month, she gave a series of televised interviews criticizing the city for failing to properly fund the fire department, which has been under-resourced for more than a decade. The rare public dispute led to a closed-door meeting with Bass, after which both women tersely claimed they were working together.
Firefighters praised Crowley as a whistleblower advocating for much-needed resources. However, Bass’s allies saw her public remarks as a distraction from the emergency response, one that heightened fears among already anxious residents.
Six weeks later, Bass began publicly voicing her frustration with Crowley, stating in a local TV interview that the chief failed to warn her about fire risks before she departed for a diplomatic trip to Ghana. The comment reignited controversy over Bass’s decision to travel to Africa, leaving her an ocean away when the fires erupted.
Days later, when Bass officially removed Crowley, she cited two other reasons for the firing. She criticized Crowley’s deployment decisions on the day the Palisades Fire ignited, noting that 1,000 firefighters who could have been on duty were instead sent home. She also accused Crowley of refusing to participate in an after-action report conducted by the fire commission.
In a statement over the weekend, Crowley did not directly address Bass’s claims, instead calling herself a “humble public servant” honored to have led the department. However, her supporters have pushed back against the mayor’s assertions, arguing that there was insufficient equipment to deploy those 1,000 firefighters and that an after-action report is already in progress.
“The idea that she wouldn’t cooperate — to me, that just runs afoul of procedurally how it all happens,” said Monica Rodriguez, a city councilmember who said Bass’ myriad reasons for her decision didn’t add up. “Let’s be honest, let’s be truthful. If you’re playing politics, then okay — play politics … You’re looking for a fall guy, that’s what it felt like to me.”
