LOS ANGELES — Ousted Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Kristin Crowley gave her first public comment Saturday since being fired by Mayor Karen Bass on Friday.

“As a humble public servant for over the past 30 years, 25 of those with the LAFD, it has been an absolute honor to represent and lead the men and women of one of the greatest fire departments in the world,” Crowley said in a statement released Saturday afternoon. “As the Fire Chief, I based my actions and decisions on taking care of our firefighters so that they could take care of our communities. Serving others before self, having the courage and integrity to do what is right, and leading with compassion, love and respect have guided me throughout my career. I am extremely proud of the work, sacrifice and dedication of our LAFD members, both sworn and civilian.”

A spokesperson for Crowley said she would “make no further comment regarding this matter.”

Meanwhile, Bass was dealing with harsh criticism from the head of the fire department’s union and two potential rivals in the 2026 mayoral election, who all assailed Friday’s abrupt firing.

“Los Angeles is moving forward — on all fronts. The business of the Fire Department and the City will continue. The recovery of the Palisades is months ahead of expectations. We will keep moving forward, together,” Bass posted Saturday on X.

The mayor cited what she called failures in leadership ahead of the January windstorm that led to the deadly Palisades Fire, as well as what Bass said was Crowley’s refusal to prepare an after-action report on the firefight. She also said Crowley had failed to give her a weather update prior to the historic windstorm as she had done for other potentially dangerous weather events.

Bass appointed former Chief Deputy Ronnie Villanueva, a 41-year LAFD veteran, as interim fire chief.

The mayor’s decision to oust Crowley was met with quick criticism from City Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez and businessman Rick Caruso, who ran for mayor but lost to Bass and is widely expected to run again in 2026.

“Chief Crowley remains the most qualified member of the Los Angeles City Fire Department that earned her well deserved appointment as fire chief,” Rodriguez said in a statement. “I am outraged by the scapegoating revealed by the mayor’s actions. I plan to use my authority as a council member to set the record straight and encourage Chief Crowley to appeal the mayor’s baseless termination to the City Council. The public deserves a full account of every single leadership failure that has taken place.”

The Mayor’s Office said Crowley had exercised her civil service right to remain with the agency at a lower rank. The interim chief will be responsible for assigning her duties.

If Crowley does appeal her firing, she would need 10 of the City Council’s 15 members to vote with her to succeed, which would appear to be a tough challenge. On Friday evening, Bass’ office released statements of support for the selection of Villanueva from several officials, including the following:

• Los Angeles City Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson: “Chief Villanueva’s more than 40 years of experience come at a critical time for the City of Los Angeles. I support the Mayor’s decision and have full confidence in his abilities as we work to move the city forward.”
• Councilman Hugo Soto-Martínez: “With over four decades of experience, Chief Villanueva brings a deep understanding of the department and the needs of our city to this role. I want to thank him for his leadership, and I look forward to working with him to keep our communities safe.”
• Councilman Adrin Nazarian: “Accountability, protocol and proper preparation are paramount during any emergency situation, most especially one of the magnitude we just experienced. I thank Chief Crowley for her commitment, dedication and service to the LAFD, and I stand by Mayor Karen Bass in her decision to remove Chief Crowley effective immediately. I look forward to working with Interim Chief Villanueva while continuing our road to recovery and building back a stronger, more resilient Los Angeles.”
• Maryam Zar, Chair Emeritus, Pacific Palisades Community Council: “It is not lost on anyone that any move that’s made after the fact does not change the devastation. People’s lives have been upturned and the recovery ahead will be long. But an acknowledgment that major missteps were made and that accountability is the cornerstone of the public trust is important, and this is a good step in that direction.”

In an afternoon news conference Friday, Bass said she supports a full investigation of everything that occurred leading up to the devastating Palisades Fire on Jan. 7. She said that earlier this week, the president of the city’s Fire Commission instructed Crowley to do an after-action report — but according to Bass, Crowley refused.

Bass said she heard of Crowley’s refusal and met briefly with her Friday to remove her from her position. The mayor could not elaborate as to why Crowley allegedly refused to conduct the after-action report.

In part, such a report would analyze the department’s model of pre- deployment during the January windstorm and critical fire danger. As the Santa Ana wind event began, firefighters were sent out to areas of concern such as Hollywood, the San Fernando Valley and the Palisades.

“We all know that 1,000 firefighters that could have been on duty on the morning the fires broke, but were instead sent home on Chief Crowley’s watch,” Bass said. “These actions required her removal.”

In a written statement, the mayor also said she fired Crowley “in the best interests” of LA’s public safety and the operations of the LA Fire Department.

The move came after recent interviews in which an embattled Bass also blamed Crowley for not informing her of the extreme Santa Ana winds and dangerous fire conditions that resulted in the Palisades Fire — despite those warnings being widely publicized by the National Weather Service and in media reports for days in advance.

“Acting in the best interests of Los Angeles’ public safety, and for the operations of the Los Angeles Fire Department, I have removed Kristin Crowley as fire chief,” Bass said in a statement. “... The heroism of our firefighters — during the Palisades Fire and every single day — is without question. Bringing new leadership to the Fire Department is what our city needs.”

Bass has faced a barrage of criticism over the handling of the wildfire, in particular because the mayor went on a diplomatic trip to Ghana days before the fires erupted despite the warnings about anticipated severe wind and fire-danger conditions. In interviews this week, Bass said she would normally receive a call from the fire chief about the approach of severe fire conditions, but did not receive any such notification in January.

Questions have also been raised about a key water reservoir that was out of service for repairs for months prior to and then during the Palisades Fire, leading to a drop in water pressure in portions of Pacific Palisades, and concerns about inoperable fire hydrants across the city.

The mayor emphasized that further investigations into the water pressure will be examined in a probe ordered by Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Tensions with Crowley increased upon Bass’ return to the city when Crowley made public comments critical of what she described as the city’s under- funding of the LAFD. That led to a one-on-one closed door meeting between the pair, but no punitive actions were taken against Crowley at the time.

Caruso, meanwhile, said, “It is very disappointing that Mayor Bass has decided to fire Chief Kristin Crowley. Chief Crowley served Los Angeles well and spoke honestly about the severe and profoundly ill-conceived budget cuts the Bass administration made to the LAFD. That courage to speak the truth was brave, and I admire her.

“Honesty in a high city official should not be a firing offense. The mayor’s decision to ignore the warnings and leave the city was hers alone. This is a time for city leaders to take responsibility for their actions and their decisions. We need real leadership, not more blame passing.”

Leaders of United Firefighters of Los Angeles City Local 112 also blasted Crowley’s ouster.

“We are outraged at the termination of Fire Chief Crowley,” UFLAC President Freddie Escobar said. “In our opinion, Crowley is being made a scapegoat, and she’s being terminated for telling the truth.”