Former LAFD Chief Kristin Crowley took aim at Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and her handling of the Palisades fire on Tuesday, alleging labor code violations after she was ousted by the mayor last year in a bombshell new lawsuit.

“She sought to avoid accountability by shifting blame and lying — including falsely claiming that she was not aware of the nationally anticipated weather event, falsely claiming that the LAFD’s budget was not cut, and falsely claiming that LAFD’s resources would have supported an additional 1,000 firefighters to fight the blaze — claims contradicted by public records and Bass’ own prior statements,” the filing states.

Crowley, who was removed by Bass as head of the fire department just weeks after the deadly Palisades Fire, claims her termination violated protections in the state labor code and the California Constitution.

The former fire chief alleges that after initially praising the fire department’s response, “Bass reversed course” and looked for someone else to take the fall amid backlash over delayed responses to the fire and criticism of the mayor being absent from the city when the blazes broke out — as well as cuts to the fire budget the year before, according to newly filed court papers seen by NBC Los Angeles.

The two publicly clashed over the response to the fire, with Crowley alleging the mayor engaged in a “smear campaign” against her.

This is not the first time Crowley has taken legal action against the city.

She filed a legal claim on Aug. 20, 2025, against Bass and the city alleging defamation, retaliation and negligence following her February 2025 demotion.

She had initially stated that she was made the scapegoat for the backlash following the department’s slow response, Bass’s absence from the city when the fire broke out, and the overall handling of the blaze.

Mayor Bass did not comment directly on the lawsuit; instead, her office issued a statement through Senior Advisor Yusef Robb who said, “This lawsuit has no merit.”

““There is nothing new here,” he told The Post. “Ms. Crowley was removed from her post for her failure to predeploy and her decision to send 1,000 firefighters home instead of keeping them on duty on the morning the fires broke out.”

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Crowley became the focus of national attention as wildfires ravaged Southern California in January 2025. Controversy centered on personnel, a lack of water, and the budget. Crowley refuted the mayor’s claims that she did not notify her office about the windstorm and potentially life-threatening wildfire conditions.

Bass was later accused of orchestrating the LAFD’s response to public questions about the fire.

The California Post revealed the damning after-action review was significantly modified from the draft to the final public report.

One of the most dramatic edits involved language acknowledging insufficient resources to “suppress a wind-driven vegetation fire,” with the department attempting to be “fiscally responsible by not fully augmenting and pre-deploying all available resources in preparation for a rare wind event.”

In contrast, the final report claims the LAFD ”balanced fiscal responsibility with proper preparation by following its pre-deployment matrix.”

Twelve people died and nearly 7,000 homes were destroyed in the Palisades Fire.

Crowley is seeking compensatory damages, declaratory relief and all remedies available under California law.