LA Mayor Karen Bass may have influenced Palisades fire report

The Los Angeles Times reported that two insiders said Mayor Karen Bass sought edits to the LA Fire Department's October after-action report on the Pacific Palisades fire; Bass has denied directing changes.

Insiders told the Los Angeles Times that Mayor Karen Bass asked for edits to the Los Angeles Fire Department's after-action report on the Pacific Palisades fire. The department released the report in October following the January 2025 blaze. Sources said the mayor told an interim fire chief the draft could expose the city to legal liability and wanted key findings removed or softened. Mayor Bass has denied directing changes and said she only asked the department to check facts about the budget. Key reported points: - The Los Angeles Times reported that two confidants said Bass sought edits to soften findings in the draft after-action report. - Mayor Bass and a spokesperson have denied that she directed line-by-line edits and said the fire department wrote and edited the report. - The report's author, Battalion Chief Kenneth Cook, declined to endorse the final version because he said changes altered his findings. - Two confidants told the Times they would be prepared to testify under oath if there were a legal proceeding. Summary: The reporting has raised questions about transparency in how the after-action report was finalized. Two confidants said they would testify under oath if legal proceedings arise. No legal proceeding has been scheduled. Undetermined at this time.