Bass said Kristin Crowley had failed to warn her about an imminent fire risk.

“We know that 1,000 firefighters that could have been on duty on the morning the fires broke out were instead sent home on Chief Crowley’s watch,” the mayor also said in a statement.

Bass has appointed Ronnie Villanueva, an LAFD veteran, as interim fire chief. The wildfires claimed 26 lives, destroyed thousands of homes, and displaced over 150,000 residents.

The city charter allows the mayor to fire department heads, including the chief, without city council approval.

However, Crowley has 10 days to appeal, and would need a two-thirds council vote (10 members) to overturn Bass’s decision. While securing those votes is unlikely, even a failed appeal could politically challenge Bass.

The mayor has taken political heat for her response to the historic fires, almost since the moment they broke out while she was out of the country. Bass had travelled to Ghana in early January, despite the National Weather Service warning of the heightened risk of wildfires and damage from a major windstorm.

Crowley and Bass tussled publicly, too, over the response – with Crowley blaming budget cuts for problems with trying to contain the fires, even though the department’s operating budget had technically grown.

At a press conference on Friday where Bass repeated her belief that Los Angeles was not properly prepared and that residents’ lives had been at risk, the mayor said she knew she wanted to fire then-Chief Crowley weeks ago.

She said she decided to wait until the city was out of a state of emergency.

Calling the firefighters heroic in taking on the Palisades fire, Bass added that “bringing new leadership to the fire department is what they and the people of Los Angeles deserve”.

One of Bass’s biggest critics, Rick Caruso, a major force in local business and real estate who ran for mayor, blasted Bass on X for firing Crowley, saying the former chief had spoken “honestly about the severe and profoundly ill-conceived budget cuts the Bass administration made” and alleging she had been fired for speaking out.

“The Mayor’s decision to ignore the warnings and leave the city was hers alone,” he also wrote. “This is a time for city leaders to take responsibility for their actions and their decisions.”

Kristin Crowley made history as the department’s first female fire chief when she was appointed in 2022.

During her tenure, she prioritized firefighter recruitment, diversity initiatives, and modernizing outdated department policies. However, her leadership faced controversy, particularly regarding staffing shortages during the recent fires.

Current and retired LAFD chief officers have accused her of mismanaging the wildfire response, highlighting in a recent letter issues such as inadequate evacuation plans and insufficient firefighting resources.

They called for her resignation, saying that “a large number of Chief Officers do not believe you are up to the task.”

Crowley also faced backlash for her focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives within the department. Her critics argued that this emphasis diverted attention from essential firefighting operations, potentially compromising the department’s effectiveness during crises.

LAFD spokesperson Erik Scott said the department was “aware of the mayor’s announcement” and had “no further comments or interviews on this matter at this time.”

Bass has called for a full investigation into the wildfires response, and Governor Gavin Newsom has called for a similar investigation at the state level.

More than 20 artists from various genres are on the line-up for the FireAid benefit show, which is happening simultaneously at two large venues in the city.

Among those set to preform are Sting, P!nk, Lil Baby, Rod Stewart, Lady Gaga and Earth Wind & Fire. The lineup also includes multiple acts who were born in the LA area, including Billie Eilish, the Red Hot Chili Peppers and No Doubt.

Proceeds from the concert and donations during the show will go toward rebuilding communities and preventing future fires in the region.

At least 28 people died and more than 16,000 homes and businesses were destroyed in the fast-spreading, destructive fires that broke out in early January.

The shows are taking place at the Kia Forum and Intuit Dome, two large arenas about a mile apart, on Thursday evening. The shows will start about an hour and half apart and reportedly include two to four songs from each artist.

At Intuit Dome, those preforming include: Billie Eilish, Gracie Abrams, Jelly Roll, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Lil Baby, Olivia Rodrigo, Peso Pluma, Rod Stewart, Stevie Wonder, Sting, Tate McRae and Earth, Wind & Fire.

At the Kia Forum, those preforming include: Alanis Morissette, Anderson .Paak, Dawes, Graham Nash, Green Day, John Fogerty, Joni Mitchell, No Doubt, Pink, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Stephen Stills, Stevie Nicks, the Black Crowes, and John Mayer.

Dave Matthews was also supposed to perform at the second show, but pulled out on Wednesday night, due to a “critical illness in the family”.

Organisers say performances will be staggered, and shown on large screens at both arenas so there’s no down time between acts.

The shows are also expected to feature special guests and have an emphasis on those who have been impacted by the fires and the first responders who helped douse the infernos.

Yes. Organisers say it will be streamed for free on platforms including Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Disney+, Hulu, Facebook, Instagram, Max, Netflix, Tudum, DirectTV, Paramount+, Peacock, NBC News Now, YouTube and KTLA.

The concert will also be shown in select AMC and Regal theatres across the US.

The music kicks off at 18:00 in LA (21:00 in New York, 02:00 Friday in the UK).

Viewers will be able to donate money to relief efforts during the show, either by text message or by visiting FireAidLA.org.

Donations will be overseen by the Annenberg Foundation, focusing on both short-term relief efforts and long-term fire prevention projects.

Additionally, Connie and Steve Ballmer – who own the LA Clippers basketball team, as well as the Intuit Dome and Forum – will match all donations made during the broadcast.

The Palisades and Eaton fires became the largest fires ever seen in the LA area earlier this month. Both erupted on 7 January as the region saw a strong wind event, making the small blazes in brushy, mountainous areas hard to contain.

Embers travelled miles, igniting whole communities and levelling neighbourhoods.

Nearly 7,000 structures were levelled in the Palisades fire in northwest LA. Another 9,400 were destroyed in the Eaton fire in the Altadena area of Los Angeles County. The fires also claimed a number of victims.