Los Angeles Mayor Accused of Covering Up Fire Report

Bass denies ordering changes to downplay failures in response to 2025 blazes

Published on Feb. 6, 2026

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The mayor of Los Angeles, Karen Bass, has been accused of directing the former interim fire chief to water down key findings in a report reviewing the city's response to major fires that damaged or destroyed over 18,000 structures and resulted in 31 deaths last year. Bass denies the allegations, but the final report was altered to 'soften language and reduce explicit criticism of the department leadership' before its release in October.

Why it matters

Failing to fully investigate and learn from mistakes in the city's fire response could increase the likelihood of similar failures in the future, especially in a fire-prone area like Los Angeles. The alleged cover-up also raises concerns about government transparency and accountability heading into an election year.

The details

The report's principal author refused to endorse the final version due to the changes, which he called 'highly unprofessional and inconsistent with our established standards.' The report downplayed issues such as the failure to deploy crews to the Pacific Palisades ahead of the fires despite high wind warnings, as well as the reignition of the Lachman fire six days after it was initially extinguished. There were also concerns about sensitivity to the impact on endangered milkvetch plants in the 'avoidance area' where the Lachman fire took place.

  • The fires occurred in January 2025, damaging or destroying over 18,000 structures and burning more than 37,000 acres.
  • The report was originally scheduled for release in October 2025 but was altered before its final publication.

The players

Karen Bass

The mayor of Los Angeles who has been accused of directing changes to downplay failures in the fire response report.

Jaime Moore

The current Fire Chief of Los Angeles who acknowledged that the final report draft was altered to 'soften language and reduce explicit criticism of the department leadership.'

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What they’re saying

“Failures' became 'challenges'.”

— Jaime Moore, Fire Chief (Los Angeles Times)

“The changes were highly unprofessional and inconsistent with our established standards.”

— Report's principal author (Los Angeles Times)

What’s next

Mayor Bass has called for an independent investigation into the changes made to the fire response report.

The takeaway

This case highlights the importance of transparent and thorough government investigations, especially when it comes to public safety failures. The alleged cover-up by the mayor raises concerns about accountability and could undermine public trust in the city's ability to learn from past mistakes and improve its emergency response capabilities.