Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass reportedly directed changes to the Palisades Fire after-action report that were watered down to protect top officials, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Sources told the outlet that Bass was worried the original draft could expose the city to lawsuits and wanted key findings softened or removed.
Those findings blamed the Fire Department for not fully staffing up and not pre-deploying engines before extreme winds.
The Lachman Fire, which the department failed to fully extinguish before it flared into the Palisades Fire, was barely mentioned.
Mayor Bass told KNX News the L.A. Times report was "absolutely false," adding that it was "irresponsible reporting."
"I'm the one that ordered the after action report," she said. "When the fire chief would not do it, I fired her. Why would I water down a report that essentially presented the information for why I fired her? That makes no sense."
Bass added that anyone who wants to see the report can look at it on the L.A. Fire Department website.
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