OAN Staff Cory Hawkins
12:14 PM – Thursday, February 5, 2026
A Wednesday investigation by the Los Angeles Times outlet reported that Los Angeles Democrat Mayor Karen Bass either directed or influenced changes to an official after-action report on the Palisades Fire, the devasting January 2025 wildfire that killed multiple people and destroyed thousands of structures.
Sources with knowledge of her office claim she had expressed concerns that the initial draft could expose the city to legal liability due to criticisms of the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD)’s preparedness and response. Mayor Bass had also raised concerns that documenting these tactical shortcomings could conflict with city policy and expose the city to legal risks.
Bass then reportedly requested, or directed, that key findings highlighting LAFD shortcomings be removed or significantly softened, and these revisions were incorporated before the report’s public release — despite warnings from officials that altering the findings could lead to a career-ending scandal.
According to the outlet’s findings, when the official after-action report on the Palisades Fire was released in October, a key section criticizing the LAFD for failing to pre-deploy crews amid forecasts of catastrophic winds had been removed. The final version reframed the narrative, commending the department for an effective response and describing its rollout as exceeding standard protocols.
“This sanitized account contrasts sharply with the fire’s devastating impact: 12 lives lost, more than 6,800 structures destroyed, and approximately $25 billion in direct damages.”
It remains unclear how closely then-LAFD Interim Fire Chief Ronnie Villanueva or other department officials collaborated on these revisions to align with political considerations. Villanueva served as interim fire chief of the LAFD from February 21, 2025, until November 2025.
Jaime E. Moore is the current LAFD fire chief, and he remains in the role as of early 2026.
Following the report’s publication, the Mayor’s office has since denied any involvement in revising the report, stating in response to the outlet’s investigation that neither Bass nor her team made direct changes to the draft.
“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,” Press Secretary to Mayor Bass, Clara Karger, stated. “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,” she added.
The report controversy is only the latest in a series of setbacks for Bass regarding her handling of the Palisades disaster. The Democrat mayor’s administration was already facing intense scrutiny over evacuation confusion, her absence from the fire zone during the height of the blaze, and a controversial $18 million cut to the LAFD budget enacted just months before the fire.
These converging factors have fueled a profound crisis of public trust in the city’s handling of the Palisades Fire, as affected residents and critics have repeatedly argued.
Current Fire Chief Moore, appointed by Mayor Bass, has declined to launch an investigation into who was responsible for the edits that softened the after-action report. Instead, he has emphasized a forward-looking approach, stating his preference to “focus on the future” rather than revisiting past decisions.
Yet, the community remains deeply unsettled and insistent on uncovering the full truth. Many enraged residents, along with some former officials, have labeled the discrepancies and revisions a blatant cover-up.
Adding to the outrage, public records and Los Angeles Times investigations have also since confirmed a critical and devastating detail: the massive Palisades Fire was not a new ignition. It stemmed from a smaller brush fire — known as the “Lachman fire” — that began on New Year’s Day.
Firefighters had declared it contained, but crews reported smoldering ground and hot spots the following day. Despite complaints, they were ordered to leave the scene without fully extinguishing underground embers, including forgoing tools like thermal imaging.
The fire smoldered for six days before high winds caused it to rekindle explosively on January 7, 2025, erupting into the catastrophic blaze.
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