Bass denies story she ordered watering down of Palisades Fire after-action report

LOS ANGELES (KABC) — Mayor Karen Bass is denying a published story that claims she ordered the watering down of an after-action report that detailed alleged failings of the Los Angeles Fire Department during the deadly Palisades Fire.

The Los Angeles Times reports Bass told then-interim Fire Chief Ronnie Villanueva that the original version of the report put the city at risk of legal liabilities.

According to the Times, two of their sources with knowledge of Bass’ office say the mayor wanted sections of the report removed or softened.

The report was changed after a conversation between the mayor and Villaneuva, the Times reports.

Eyewitness News has reported extensively that LAFD never pre-deployed resources to the Palisades.

The Times reports that an initial draft of the after-action report said the pre-deployment decisions “did not align” with policy but was then changed to say that the LAFD’s pre-deployment plan was “above and beyond.”

In a statement Wednesday responding to the Times story, Bass’ office said the mayor and her staff made no changes to the drafts, and that Bass reviewed an early draft of the report and asked only that the LAFD make sure it was accurate on issues such as weather and budget.

“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,” the statement said.

“This is muckraking journalism at its lowest form. It is dangerous and irresponsible for Los Angeles Times reporters to rely on third hand unsourced information to make unsubstantiated character attacks to advance a narrative that is false.”

The Times said it stands by its reporting.

In January, Fire Chief Jaime Moore, who replaced Villanueva in November, acknowledged the after-action report was edited to reduce criticism of LAFD’s leadership.

Moore previously said he ordered a separate independent investigation into the Lachman Fire — a holdover fire that later erupted into the Palisades Fire — to closely examine the department’s decisions and procedures and determine where improvements are needed.

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.

The Times first reported the after-action report was altered after reviewing seven drafts before the final report was issued on Oct. 8, 2025.

City News Service contributed to this report.