LOS ANGELES, CA – Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is under intense scrutiny after a leaked memo revealed her demand for an additional $49 million in budget cuts from the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) just one week before catastrophic wildfires erupted across the region.
The proposed cuts, on top of $17.6 million already slashed in the city’s latest budget, would have shuttered 16 fire stations, drastically hampering the department’s ability to respond to emergencies, according to sources.
The memo, dated January 6, was obtained by a whistleblower within the LAFD and highlights a contentious meeting between Chief Kristin Crowley and Mayor Bass.
The document, which was sent to division chiefs and captains, described a “worst-case scenario” of closing fire stations to achieve the requested savings. “The only way to provide a cost savings would be to close as many as 16 fire stations; this equates to at least one fire station per City Council District,” the memo stated, while emphasizing that the plan had not yet been finalized.
One day after the memo was issued, the Palisades Fire erupted, growing into the most destructive wildfire in Los Angeles history. Over 54 square miles have been scorched by multiple fires, including the Eaton, Kenneth, and Hurst fires, leaving more than 4,000 homes and buildings destroyed and at least ten people dead. The Palisades Fire alone has caused an estimated $49 billion in damage, devastating communities from Pacific Palisades to Pasadena.
Senior LAFD officials expressed outrage over the timing and implications of the proposed cuts, describing a department already pushed to its limits. “They did not want this out. It’s an internal memo not to be distributed,” said a 25-year veteran of the LAFD. “We have fire engines we can’t get parts for. When one breaks down, we strip it for parts to put on other fire engines because we can’t buy any more. If you shut down 16 stations, that’s about 750 personnel. Then they expect us to take the same call volume.”
The memo’s timing has raised further questions about the city’s preparedness. Firefighters have been stretched thin, responding to nearly double the usual daily call volume. “We’re already shy 200 paramedics, and we’re on the verge of another 200 quitting because we can’t do this anymore,” the source added. “If we don’t work overtime, they suspend and threaten to terminate us. It’s untenable.”
According to sources briefed on the memo, Mayor Bass demanded the cuts during a meeting with Chief Crowley the previous week. “Bass wanted to cut even more,” one insider revealed. “The Chief said, ‘We don’t have it.’ The Mayor said, ‘Find it.’”
Chief Crowley had previously warned Bass in a December memo that the $17.6 million in earlier cuts had already “severely limited the department’s capacity to prepare for, train for, and respond to large-scale emergencies, including wildfires.”
The reduction in funding had impacted overtime staffing hours, training, and fire prevention efforts, leaving the department ill-prepared for the challenges now unfolding.
Criticism of Mayor Bass intensified after it was revealed she was in Ghana earlier this week attending the West African country’s presidential inauguration, even as warnings about “critical” weather conditions had been issued days earlier.
Bass returned to Los Angeles as the fires raged and addressed questions about her leadership during a Thursday press conference. Defending her actions, she said, “I just said what I believe is the most important thing for us to do right now. That’s going to continue to be my focus.”
Residents affected by the wildfires have voiced frustration over the city’s response. In one instance, a mother confronted Bass directly, questioning her about the lack of water pressure in hydrants during the firefight.
The issue of dry hydrants has emerged as a significant challenge, with officials reporting that high demand caused dozens of hydrants to run dry during critical moments of the firefight in Pacific Palisades. LAFD Chief Crowley acknowledged the problem, stating, “We pushed the system to the extreme.”
The fires continue to burn with varying levels of containment. As of Friday morning, the Palisades Fire was 8% contained, while the Eaton Fire remained entirely uncontained. The Kenneth and Hurst fires showed limited progress, with containment levels at 35% and 75%, respectively. Firefighters have described the conditions as a “perfect storm” of extreme drought and hurricane-force Santa Ana winds.
The financial and human toll of the fires is staggering. Tens of thousands of residents remain under evacuation orders, with homes, businesses, schools, and places of worship among the countless structures destroyed.
Recovery efforts are expected to take years and will likely reignite debates about resource allocation and city leadership during crises. Mayor Bass’s proposed cuts and her response to the ongoing disaster are certain to remain focal points of public and political discourse in the months ahead.
