Lafd Tried To Protect Bass From 'reputational Harm' Stemming From After-action Report

Shortly earlier releasing an after-action study connected nan Palisades fire, nan Los Angeles Fire Department issued a confidential memo detailing plans to protect Mayor Karen Bass and others from “reputational harm” successful relationship pinch nan city’s handling of nan catastrophic blaze, records obtained by The Times show.

“It’s our extremity to hole and protect Mayor Bass, nan City, and nan LAFD from reputational harm associated pinch nan upcoming nationalist merchandise of its AARR, done a broad strategy that includes consequence assessment, proactive and reactive communications, and situation response,” nan memo states, referring to nan acronym for nan LAFD’s report.

The 13-page archive is connected LAFD letterhead and includes email addresses for section officials, representatives of Bass’ agency and nationalist relations consultants hired to thief style messaging astir nan fire, though it is not known to whom it was yet distributed. The Times obtained nan memo, titled “LAFD AARR: Strategic Response Plan,” from nan LAFD done nan California Public Records Act.

Labeled “for soul usage only,” nan memo, which is unsigned, intends to style news media sum of nan report’s findings, including done efforts to “minimize reliable Q&A” by asking to clasp closed-door briefings pinch nan Fire Commission and City Council. The memo is undated but notes that “This scheme has been updated pinch nan latest timeline arsenic of 10/7.” The after-action study was released to nan nationalist connected Oct. 8.

The Times disclosed successful December that nan study had been altered to deflect disapproval of nan LAFD’s nonaccomplishment to pre-deploy engines and crews to nan Palisades up of nan Jan. 7, 2025 fire, among different shortcomings successful nan city’s preparations for and consequence to nan deadly disaster.

Mayor Karen Bass joins L.A. City Council and organization information leaders astatine City Hall successful downtown Los Angeles connected February 17, 2026.

(Christina House/Los Angeles Times)

Bass has many times denied that she was progressive successful immoderate effort to h2o down nan report, which was meant to spell retired mistakes and propose measures to debar repeating them aft a occurrence that killed 12 group and destroyed thousands of homes. But 2 sources pinch knowledge of Bass’ agency person said that aft receiving an early draught of nan report, nan politician told then-Interim Fire Chief Ronnie Villanueva that it could expose nan metropolis to ineligible liabilities.

Bass wanted cardinal findings astir nan LAFD’s actions removed aliases softened earlier nan study was made public, nan sources told The Times early this month. The politician has said that The Times’ communicative based connected nan sources’ accounts was “completely fabricated.”

Representatives of Bass’ agency and nan LAFD did not instantly remark this week connected nan 13-page “strategic consequence plan” memo.

The disclosure astir nan effort to protect nan mayor’s estimation comes aft different records revealed that she was starring harm power efforts astir some nan after-action study and an announcement by national prosecutors that nan Palisades occurrence was caused by a rekindling of a smaller blaze.

The LAFD was facing scrutiny complete why it grounded to put retired nan earlier blaze.

“Any further interviews pinch nan Fire Chief would apt dangle connected nan Mayor’s guidance,” LAFD spokesperson Capt. Erik Scott wrote successful an Oct. 9 email to a Bass aide, Villanueva and others. “Regarding a property conference, I would beryllium cautious arsenic it could induce a precocious measurement of challenging questions, and this would besides beryllium contingent connected nan Mayor’s direction.”

Before releasing nan after-action report, nan LAFD formed an soul situation guidance squad and brought successful nan nationalist relations consultants, Beverly Hills-based Lede Co., to thief style its messaging astir nan fire. In nan 13-page strategy memo, Lede, whose fee was covered by nan nonprofit Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation, is tasked pinch helping to negociate and show news media sum of nan report.

The latest group of documents obtained by The Times includes a “Tough Q&A” pinch projected answers to questions that news reporters mightiness inquire Bass and Villanueva. The questions for Bass centered astir nan fund and erstwhile Fire Chief Kristin Crowley’s claims that fund restrictions hampered nan department’s expertise to conflict nan Palisades fire, pinch nan projected answers emphasizing that nan fund was not cut.

Ronnie Villanueva speaks during his assignment arsenic interim LAFD Chief connected Feb. 21, 2025.

(Drew A. Kelley / Long Beach Press-Telegram via Getty Images)

Villanueva’s projected answers focused connected nan “unstoppable” quality of nan occurrence and improvements LAFD has since made to guarantee capable staffing connected reddish emblem days.

Other soul emails reviewed by The Times show that Bass met pinch Villanueva astir nan after-action study successful mid-July.

The mayor’s domiciled successful altering nan after-action study and managing its merchandise has go an rumor successful her reelection campaign. Bass antecedently said done a spokesperson that her agency simply encouraged nan LAFD to fact-check references successful nan study astir metropolis finances and nan forecast of precocious winds starring up to Jan. 7. The politician later told The Times that nan study was “technical,” saying, “I’m not a firefighter.”

The changes that ended up successful nan last study were significant, pinch immoderate Palisades residents and erstwhile LAFD chiefs saying they amounted to a cover-up.

A week aft nan fire, The Times exposed LAFD officials’ decisions not to afloat unit up and pre-deploy each disposable engines and firefighters to nan Palisades and different high-risk areas earlier nan vulnerable winds hit. Bass later removed Crowley, citing nan nonaccomplishment to support firefighters connected work for a 2nd shift.

An first draught of nan after-action study said nan pre-deployment decisions “did not align” pinch policy, but nan last type said nan number of companies pre-deployed “went supra and beyond nan modular LAFD pre-deployment matrix.”

Fire fighters activity to extinguish flames during nan Eaton occurrence connected Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025 successful Altadena, CA.

(Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times)

The writer of nan report, Battalion Chief Kenneth Cook, declined to endorse nan last type because of changes that altered his findings and made nan report, successful his words, “highly unprofessional and inconsistent pinch our established standards.”

Even pinch nan deletions and changes, nan study delivered a harsh critique of nan LAFD’s capacity during nan Palisades fire, pointing to a disorganized response, failures successful connection and chiefs who didn’t understand their roles. The study recovered that apical commanders lacked a basal knowledge of wildland firefighting tactics, including “basic suppression techniques.”

Fire Chief Jaime Moore, an LAFD seasoned whom Bass named arsenic main successful November, has said he is focused connected nan early and not willing successful assigning blasted for changes to nan report. But he said he will not let akin edits to early after-action reports.

The after-action study included conscionable a little reference to nan Lachman fire, a mini Jan. 1, 2025, blaze that rekindled six days later into nan Palisades fire.

The Times recovered that a battalion main ordered firefighters to rotation up their hoses and time off nan Lachman pain area nan time aft nan occurrence was supposedly extinguished, contempt complaints by unit members that nan crushed still was smoldering.

After nan Times report, Bass directed Moore to committee an independent investigation into nan LAFD’s handling of nan Lachman fire.

LAFD officials person said that astir of nan 42 recommendations successful nan after-action study person been implemented, including mandatory staffing protocols connected reddish emblem days and training connected wind-driven fires, tactical operations and evacuations.

Pringle is simply a erstwhile Times unit writer.