Mayor Karen Bass is denying allegations in a report that she directed changes to a review of the Palisades Fire response in an attempt to make the city look better.
The Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday that Bass was involved in altering the after-action report for the January 2025 wildfire, one of the deadliest and most destructive on record in California. Bass said she made no changes to the original draft of the report and only asked the LAFD to ensure it was accurate before it was released to the public.
NBCLA has not independently verified the LA Times’ reporting.
The report cites sources allegedly telling a Los Angeles Times reporter what two people close to the mayor, who is running for re-election later this year, told them. It is unclear how those sources would know the information included in the report.
The mayor’s office provided the following statement.
“Mayor Bass has been unequivocal for months — she reviewed an early draft of the report and only asked the LAFD to make sure it was accurate on issues like weather and budget,” her office said. “She and her staff made no changes to the drafts.
“The Mayor has been clear about her concerns regarding pre-deployment and the LAFD’s response to the fire, which is why there is new leadership at LAFD and why she called for an independent review of the Lachman Fire mop-up. There is absolutely no reason why she would request those details be altered or erased when she herself has been critical of the response to the fire – full stop. She has said this for months.
“This is muckraking journalism at its lowest form. It is dangerous and irresponsible for Los Angeles Times reporters to rely on third hand unsourced information to make unsubstantiated character attacks to advance a narrative that is false.”
The Lachman Fire, determined by authorities be arson, ignited a few days before the Jan. 7 Palisades Fire at a ferocious Santa Ana windstorm. Considered a holdover fire, flames re-ignited in the powerful winds to become the Palisades Fire.
A 29-year-old man from Florida was arrested on suspicion of starting the New Year’s Day Lachman Fire.
The after-action report was released Oct. 8.
In January, new LAFD Chief Jaime Moore said at a fire commission meeting that the after-action report on the Palisades Fire was edited multiple times to make the department leadership look better. Moore took over the department last year following Bass’ dismissal of former Chief Kristin Crowley and was not chief at the time of the January 2025 wildfire.