Speaking at a meeting of the Los Angeles Board of Fire Commissioners, Moore addressed criticism of the department's handling of the smaller Lachman Fire that later reignited and grew into the devastating Palisades Fire. Moore also touched on the controversy over modifications to an after-action report on the department's response to the emergency.
"I want to begin by saying this clearly, last January, our firefighters performed with courage, professionalism and commitment under extraordinary dangerous conditions," Moore said. "They did their jobs, often at great personal risk, and they did not fail the city.
"At the same time, there were clearly significant shortcomings in our response as a department, and as the newly appointed fire chief, the responsibility for how this department prepares, deploys and adapts for the future, rests with me," the fire chief said.
Moore also came clean on behalf of the LAFD that the after-action report the department released last year on its response to the Palisades Fire was watered down.
"I can assure you that nothing of this sort will ever again happen while I am fire chief," Moore said.
On Jan. 1, 2025, firefighters responded to the Lachman Fire, which began in the hills of Pacific Palisades. Days later, that same fire was still burning underground and re-ignited to become the Palisades Fire, fueled by historically strong Santa Ana winds and dry conditions.
"There has been a lot of recent coverage about the response to the Lachman Fire, and I want to address it directly today," Moore said. "At the time, fire companies were directed to pick up the hose. The department genuinely believed the fire was fully extinguished. That was based on information, conditions and procedures in place at that time. That belief guided the operational decision that was made."
Moore said the outcome made it clear that the LAFD's mop-up and verification process needed to be stronger.
"We have to own that, and I do," he said.
Billionaire brothers buy up burned lots along Malibu's coastline
The chief noted that as of Tuesday, about 74% of recommendations listed in the after-action report were implemented. Among the most important changes, Moore said, were the use of drone technology, thermal imaging and revised incident weather decision-making matrices to better anticipate fire behavior and deploy resources earlier and more strategically.
"These changes are now in place to ensure this will never happen again. Please understand that Palisades and Lachman fires were defining moments for this department," Moore said. "They unfortunately exposed real limitations -- limitations in system capacity during periods of extreme demand, including challenges related to staffing availability, resource placement and the speed at which conditions can change during wind-driven fire events."
Moore concluded his remarks by affirming that "accountability also means outside review." He formally asked the Fire Safety Research Institute to include the Lachman Fire as part of its broader analysis of January's fires. The institute conducted an independent analysis of the L.A. fires, as ordered by state leaders.
Moore said he also ordered a separate independent investigation into the Lachman Fire to closely examine the department's decisions, procedures and where improvements are needed.
"That review is about learning. It's not about assigning blame, (but) ensuring our policies, our practices reflect the realities of modern fire behavior," Moore said.
One thing Moore said he can't change right away at the LAFD is a chronic staffing shortage.
The firefighters' union wants to see the force go from its current size of 3,400 firefighters to 7,000.
Benefit events commemorate anniversary of wildfires
Meanwhile, several events were set to mark the grim one-year anniversary of the January 2025 wildfires.
On Wednesday, the scheduled fundraisers for victims and rebuilding efforts include "Palisades Fire Commemoration: Finding Strength in Community" at Malibu City Hall and "A Concert for Altadena" at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium.
City News Service contributed to this report.