Los Angeles County leaders appear to be shifting blame onto one another in regards to the events that led up to the historic fires that burned through the region last month.
The Palisades and Eaton Fires burned more than 37,000 acres and destroyed more than 14,200 structures together, killing more than two dozen people in their devastating paths since they began Jan. 7. High winds fanned the flames and helped them spread, while dry conditions helped vegetation act as fuel for the fires.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, who was on a trip to Ghana when the fires broke out, appeared to cast blame on LA City Fire Chief Kristin Crowley for not warning her that historically high winds had been predicted for the city early last month.
In a televised interview, the mayor said if she were given such a warning, she would have canceled her trip to Africa.
“It’ didn’t reach that level to me to say, ‘Something terrible could happen,’ and maybe you shouldn’t go on the trip,” Bass said. “That type of preparation didn’t happen. If that had, I will tell you, I wouldn’t even have gone to San Diego, let alone leave the country.”
Los Angeles Mayor Bass says her mission is to regain confidence that may have eroded during the LA wildfires. Bass spoke with NBCLA’s Conan Nolan Feb. 13, 2025.
In a conversation with reporters on Jan. 16, Crowley said the fire department was warned of high winds.
“We pre-deployed,” the fire chief said at the time. “The dialogue did take place with my command staff.”
Conversely, LA County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath said the mayor’s office failed to communicate with her and coordinate on issues related to fire recovery efforts, correspondence obtained by the Los Angeles Times showed.
“She’s quite upset about Bass not contacting her about reopening the Palisades,” Julia Wick, a political reporter with the LA Times, said. “I don’t know what’s going on over there. It is pretty unusual to see something this pointed, even in a private message.”
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