Some blame the actions of Bass for dismissing Crowley while others blame the former chief's handling of the department before the devastating fires broke out. Bass has listed her reasons, but not everyone agrees.
During a press conference Friday, Bass said there were 1,000 firefighters that could have been on duty the morning the fires broke out but were instead sent home on Crowley's watch.
United Firefighters of Los Angeles City President Freddy Escobar said his firefighters ran into another issue that morning: there weren't enough fire engines available. Some of the engines that could have been in used sit in two LAFD maintenance yards, one in Lincoln Heights and another in Sherman Oaks.
"We had more firefighters wanting to assist than we had positions to put them in," said Escobar. "We had members at stations waiting to get an assignment. We didn't have the resources, because we don't have the mechanics to fix all the dilapidated engines, or rescues or trucks that need some form of repair."
Escobar said mechanics were cut as part of the city's budget, but the union was able to get some of those positions back, just not all of them.
"It's unacceptable," he said. "I mean, the residents of Los Angeles pay millions and millions of dollars to purchase these fire engines and fire trucks, and we need the mechanics to fix them. We have a very robust maintenance process that our members, our drivers follow, but the repair side is on the city side. It's a city responsibility, and it's just gotten worse."
Bass also said Crowley was asked to put together an after-action report on the fires by the president of the Fire Commission and refused.
However, there's different after-action reports.
Los Angeles Councilwoman Traci Park, who represents Pacific Palisades, told Eyewitness News in a statement that, "from day one after the Palisades Fire, I introduced legislation commissioning an independent, after-action report that was approved unanimously. It's important that the analysis be independent, not the LAFD investigating itself or the Fire Commission made up of political appointees."
Crowley made her first public statement since she was removed as chief over the weekend.
Crowley's statement read in part "As the Fire Chief, I based my actions and decisions on taking care of our firefighters so that they could take care of our communities."
"I am extremely proud of the work, sacrifice and dedication of our LAFD members, both sworn and civilian," she added.
There was no mention of the dismissal nor the mayor in Crowley's statement.
Bass appointed former LAFD Chief Deputy Ronnie Villanueva as the department's interim chief. On Monday, Bass' office said in a statement that it will lead a national search for a new chief and that Bass will speak directly with firefighters and Angelenos about what they're looking for.
"The search will be done as fast as possible to find the best chief," read the statement.
LA Council has first meeting since Crowley's firing
Park and Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez have both called for a bond measure on the June 2026 ballot to address the shortage of LAFD stations and equipment at those stations.
"Chief Crowley remains the most qualified member of the Los Angeles City Fire Department that earned her well deserved appointment as Fire Chief," said Rodriguez in a statement. "I am outraged by the scapegoating revealed by the Mayor's actions. I plan to use my authority as a Councilmember to set the record straight and encourage Chief Crowley to appeal the Mayor's baseless termination to the City Council.The public deserves a full account of every single leadership failure that has taken place."
Meanwhile, Bass' office said the fire department's budget is the highest it's been in at least 15 years.
Marqueece Harris-Dawson, the leader of the 15-member City Council, and councilmembers Curren Price, Hugo Soto-Martinez and Adrin Nazarian stood by Bass as she announced the chief's firing.