Los Angeles Accused of Covering Up Mishandling of Deadly Fires

Mayor Bass allegedly directed report to downplay failures in fire department response.

Published on Feb. 6, 2026

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An investigation has revealed that the City of Los Angeles attempted to cover up its mishandling of deadly fires that damaged or destroyed over 18,000 structures and resulted in 31 deaths last January. Mayor Karen Bass reportedly directed the former interim fire chief to water down key findings in the after-action report, with 'failures' being changed to 'challenges' and explicit criticism of the department's leadership being reduced. The principal author of the report refused to endorse the final version due to the unprofessional changes.

Why it matters

The alleged cover-up raises concerns about accountability and transparency in Los Angeles' handling of natural disasters, especially in a fire-prone region. Failing to fully learn from past mistakes increases the risk of repeating them, potentially putting more lives and property at risk in the future.

The details

The report was toned down before its release in October, with current Fire Chief Jaime Moore acknowledging that the language was softened to reduce explicit criticism of the department leadership. The principal author refused to endorse the final version due to the changes, which he called 'highly unprofessional.' The report downplayed egregious mistakes, such as failing to deploy crews to Pacific Palisades ahead of the fires despite high wind warnings, and the reignition of the Lachman fire as the Palisades fire six days later, which firefighters were reportedly told to leave even though the ground was still smoldering.

  • The deadly fires occurred in January 2026.
  • The after-action report was released in October 2026.
  • The Lachman fire reignited as the Palisades fire on New Year's Day 2025.

The players

Karen Bass

The Democratic mayor of Los Angeles who allegedly directed the former interim fire chief to water down the findings in the after-action report.

Jaime Moore

The current Fire Chief of Los Angeles who acknowledged that the language in the final report was softened to reduce explicit criticism of the department leadership.

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What’s next

Mayor Bass has called for an independent investigation into the Lachman fire that reignited as the Palisades fire, which was reportedly downplayed in the final report due to concerns about endangered milkvetch plants in the 'avoidance area'.

The takeaway

The alleged cover-up of the mishandling of the deadly Los Angeles fires highlights the need for greater accountability and transparency in the city's disaster response efforts. Failing to fully learn from past mistakes puts lives and property at risk of repeating such tragedies in the future.