Ex-fire chief sues Los Angeles mayor for defamation

By Chris Woodward
The Center Square

The former Los Angeles fire chief is suing Mayor Karen Bass for defamation related to the devastating Palisades Fire.

Kristin Crowley was removed from her position on Feb. 21, 2025, weeks after the blaze began. The fire, which hit the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles and nearby communities such as Malibu, burned 23,448 acres, destroyed 6,833 structures and killed 12 people.

In the lawsuit, Crowley claims Bass made and continues to make false statements about her and has damaged her reputation. Bass demoted Crowley but did not fire her from the department, where Crowley continues to work as an assistant chief in the Valley Bureau.

“Former Fire Chief Kristin Crowley filed a new stand-alone lawsuit against Karen Bass individually based on Bass’s alleged defamatory statements made in her personal capacity to benefit herself in her mayoral campaign,” attorneys Genie Harrison and Mia Munro said, answering The Center Square’s questions by email. “Chief Crowley remains steadfast in her commitment to the truth and looks forward to a jury trial through which the citizens of Los Angeles will sit in judgment of Bass’s conduct.”

The Mayor’s Office has called the lawsuit meritless in statements sent to The Center Square Wednesday and others.

Maryam Zar, who lives in Los Angeles, called the lawsuit absurd and noted, “Mayor Bass dismissed the Chief because at least 1,000 firefighters had been excused on a high-wind day that was under a Red Flag Warning.”

After smelling smoke and seeing it on the horizon from her backyard, Zar tried calling the captain at her local fire station.

She told The Center Square she was told the captain was off for the day.

Zar called that inexcusable.

“This was a senior captain at a Pacific Palisades fire station, six days after a previous fire, on the morning of a high-wind warning day, with smoke already in the air,” said Zar. “I do not know how the Chief’s lawsuit will turn out, but I do know she deserved to be fired.”

Meanwhile, Zar said this “does not absolve the Mayor of responsibility for this fire, nor for her inability to establish a proper recovery for the community” more than a year and a half later.

“She has also failed in her responsibilities,” said Zar. “We do not have a recovery district, nor do we have any meaningful structure or working framework for what recovery should look like.”

To date, Zar said that her community is “still largely on its own” and is figuring things out as it goes.

“The people on the ground are doing the most important work, and many of us are engaged in efforts that may ultimately become the blueprint for disaster recovery,” said Zar. “This is happening with little help from local government, which has largely failed to deliver.”

This is the second lawsuit from Crowley.

In February, Crowley sued the city of Los Angeles, alleging retaliation in violation of the Labor Code and the state Constitution.

The lawsuits – both of which are filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court – are seeking unspecified damages.

Upon demoting Crowley, Bass issued statements saying that Bass was acting in the best interest of public safety and the Los Angeles City Fire Department.

“We know that 1,000 firefighters that could have been on duty on the morning the fires broke out were instead sent home on Chief Crowley’s watch,” said Bass in February 2025. “Furthermore, a necessary step to an investigation was the President of the Fire Commission telling Chief Crowley to do an after-action report on the fires. The Chief refused. These require her removal. 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.”

On the day the Palisades Fire broke out, Bass was in the African nation of Ghana for the inauguration of President John Dramani Mahama. The mayor faced heavy criticism for being out of the country, and Bass conceded the trip was a mistake.

In a separate lawsuit, one that is not connected to Crowley’s challenges, Bass’ brother – Kenneth Bass – and thousands of other people are suing the city of Los Angeles over the Palisades Fire. Bass’ brother lived in Malibu until the fire destroyed his home.

The Mayor’s Office told The Center Square Wednesday there is nothing new related to the suit.