LA councilmember calls for independent investigation after LAFD chief was fired

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- After Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass' firing of the fire department's chief prompted an uproar at City Hall, one councilmember is now calling for an independent investigation.

Since former LAFD chief Kristin Crowley was fired, councilmember Monica Rodriguez has come out in support of Crowley and opened fire on Bass.

"She was out of the county. We now have an acting mayor who is the council president, acting in that role in her absence," said Rodriguez.

RELATED: L.A. Councilmember Monica Rodriguez says she's 'outraged' over Crowley's firing as LAFD chief

The debate over what city officials did or did not do before the Palisades and Eaton fires erupted in January continues to rock City Hall.

Rodriguez criticized Bass and Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson for scapegoating Crowley.

The mayor said one reason for firing Crowley was that the fire chief failed to personally notify her of the dangerous weather conditions in the days before the two fires.

Rodriguez is now calling for an independent investigation into which city officials were notified by the fire department and when.

"I think having a hearing on it presents the public with the facts of what transpired, what the truth is in terms of the communications, and I want people to have faith in their fire department's response," said Rodriguez.

Harris-Dawson, who was acting mayor at the time Bass was out of the country, told City News Service that he hadn't heard from Crowley until the fire was already burning.

"My experience actually does not align with what they're citing," said Rodriguez.

She added that she saw an email that showed Harris-Dawson's office was in communication with the Fire Department and Emergency Management Department on wind events and deployment before the fires.

Eyewitness News reached out to Harris-Dawson, but he was unavailable for comment.