L.A. firefighter testifies that Lachman fire was not fully put out. ‘I saw … red hot coals’

These testimonies show what so many residents already know in our hearts: THIS DIDN’T HAVE TO HAPPEN. A preventable fire became a disaster because leaders failed to act. And our community paid the price. They let us burn. A Los Angeles firefighter said in sworn testimony that he sounded an alarm about the inadequate mop-up […]

L.A. Mayor Karen Bass directed Palisades fire damage control, email shows

A day after federal prosecutors announced that the catastrophic Palisades fire was caused by the rekindling of a smaller arson fire days earlier, Los Angeles city officials were in damage control mode. The ultimate authority on how to handle the deluge of media inquiries was Mayor Karen Bass, according to an internal email reviewed by […]

Bass directed watering down of Palisades fire after-action report, sources say

For nearly two months, Mayor Karen Bass has repeatedly denied that she was involved in altering an after-action report on the Palisades fire to downplay failures by the city and the Los Angeles Fire Department in combating the catastrophic blaze. But two sources with knowledge of Bass’ office said that after receiving an early draft, […]

Palisades fire victims will see building permit fee relief during recovery

The Los Angeles City Council on Tuesday signed off on a plan to give financial relief to Palisades fire victims who are seeking to rebuild, endorsing it nearly 10 months after Mayor Karen Bass first announced it. On a 15-0 vote, the council instructed the city’s lawyers to draft an ordinance that would spare the […]