Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass removed Fire Chief Kristin Crowley, escalating a public dispute over the city’s handling of the deadly Palisades fire last month.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass dismissed the city’s fire chief following her management of the devastating wildfire that tore through the city’s Pacific Palisades neighborhood last month.Bass said she removed Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Kristin Crowley from her position after the fire department chose not to position many of its firefighting resources ahead of the life-threatening windstorm that fueled the growth of wildfires in early January.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass ousted Fire Chief Kristin Crowley over her handling of the Palisades fire on Friday, adding to the turmoil that has enveloped City Hall. Bass took that step after publicly ramping up criticism of Crowley in recent days,