Los Angeles City Fire Chief Kristin Crowley has placed blame on recent budget cuts for crippling the city’s response to the devastating wildfires sweeping through Los Angeles County. Appearing on CNN, Crowley criticized city officials for making decisions that severely weakened the fire department’s ability to handle emergencies.

Crowley highlighted a $17 million funding cut that slashed critical resources. “Yes, we took a $17 million budget cut, and any budget cut would negatively impact our ability to carry out our mission,” Crowley explained. She stressed that her priority is equipping firefighters with the tools needed to protect the city, but the financial reductions have made that task nearly impossible.

BREAKING: The Fire Chief that blasted elected officials in California just doubled down on their failures!

They need to resign ASAP!

"The $17 million budget cut and the elimination of our civilian positions, like our mechanics did, has and will continue to severely impact our… pic.twitter.com/XsRxqYN5oG

— Gunther Eagleman™ (@GuntherEagleman) January 10, 2025

One of the major challenges facing the department is the elimination of civilian roles, particularly mechanics responsible for maintaining firefighting equipment. Crowley revealed that over 100 fire engines are currently out of service due to insufficient staffing for repairs. “Having these apparatus and the proper amount of mechanics would have helped,” she stated, underscoring how this shortage limited their response.

The Los Angeles Fire Department has struggled to keep up with the city’s growing emergency demands. Crowley pointed out that calls for service have surged by 55% since 2010, yet the department operates with fewer firefighters than it did years ago. She warned that the city’s push for further cuts could result in the closure of up to 15 fire stations and the loss of hundreds of firefighter positions.

L.A. Fire Chief Kristin Crowley warned Mayor Karen Bass (D) last month the $17+ million she cut from the department's budget "severely limited the department's capacity to prepare for, train for, and respond to large-scale emergencies, including wildfires" pic.twitter.com/tgzIAeHIsQ

— Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) January 9, 2025

“The Palisades fire is one of the most horrific disasters in our city’s history,” Crowley said. “Even with an extra hundred engines, we were not going to stop that fire.” She added that she has repeatedly warned city leaders about the consequences of ongoing underfunding, but those warnings went unheeded.

🚨 #BREAKING: LA Fire Chief calls out Mayor Bass for slashing the Fire Department’s budget

Chief Crowley confirms she warned the Mayor that the Fire Department would NOT be able to handle potential wildfires, but the Mayor insisted on cuts anyway.

REPORTER: “Did the city fail… pic.twitter.com/0atW9sBYxT

— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) January 10, 2025

Democrats in Sacramento CUT wildfire prevention by 80% at the same time LA Mayor Karen Bass slashed her fire department budget—even when her own Fire Chief warned those cuts would limit their ability to fight a fire like this. This is inexcusable and we need to kick every… pic.twitter.com/hyYnWOlJh5

— Bill Essayli (@billessayli) January 10, 2025

As wildfires continue to ravage Los Angeles neighborhoods, many families have been forced to evacuate with little notice. Residents like Castey Fortich described leaving their homes in the middle of the night with only the bare essentials, not realizing they might never return.

LA Fire Chief Kristin Crowley just wrecked Mayor Karen Bass:

“Let me be clear. The $17M budget cut and elimination of our civilian positions like our mechanics did and has and will continue to severely impact our ability to repair our apparatus.”

Someone is losing their job. pic.twitter.com/OaPNasS3oZ

— Paul A. Szypula 🇺🇸 (@Bubblebathgirl) January 10, 2025

Crowley’s warnings highlight how city decisions have left the fire department unprepared to protect communities, raising serious concerns about public safety moving forward.