Former Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley announced on Thursday, Feb. 27, that she has formally appealed her removal by Mayor Karen Bass, escalating an already contentious political battle.
The uphill fight now shifts to the City Council, where Crowley will need support from at least 10 of 15 council members to be reinstated–an outcome that remains highly uncertain.
“Today I notified the City Council of my appeal as provided for in Los Angeles Charter, Article V, Section 5.08(e), due to Mayor Bass’s removal of me, on February 21, 2025, from the position of Fire Chief of the Los Angeles City Fire Department,” Crowley said in a statement.
Mayor’s spokesperson Zach Seidl said in a statement Thursday that “former Chief Crowley has the right to appeal her dismissal.”
After the firing, the mayor’s office said Crowley had chosen to exercise “her Civil Service rights to stay with the Fire Department at a lower rank.” However, it remains unclear what position she has been assigned, as the mayor’s office did not directly answer that question Thursday.
The move comes less than a week after Bass announced Crowley’s immediate removal and named former Chief Deputy Ronnie Villanueva, who recently retired, as interim fire chief.
Bass cited Crowley’s refusal to submit an after-action report on the Palisades fire as a key reason for her removal. The mayor also criticized her handling of staffing decisions, saying that when the Palisades fires broke out on the morning of Jan.7, up to 1,000 firefighters could have been on duty but were instead sent home under Crowley’s leadership.
“Let me be clear: our firefighters acted heroically during the Palisades fire, and they act heroically every single day. That is without question. Bringing new leadership to the fire department is what they and the people of Los Angeles deserve,” Bass said during a Feb. 21 press conference announcing Crowley’s removal.
Under the City Charter, Crowley has 10 calendar days to appeal her firing to the L.A. City Council. The council could overturn Bass’ action if two-thirds of the governing body – meaning 10 of the 15 council members – vote to reverse the mayor’s decision.
The political turmoil has been building for weeks, with Crowley criticizing the city and Bass firing back. In an interview soon after the Eaton and Palisades fires erupted, Crowley said the city had “failed” her and the fire department by making budget cuts that hampered firefighters’ ability to respond to the recent deadly wildfires.
Bass, meanwhile, has reportedly blamed Crowley and others, saying that if she had been properly informed about the severity of last month’s windstorms, she would not have traveled out of the country just days before the first wildfire erupted.