Bass Faces Scrutiny Over Wildfire Report Edits

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass faces fresh scrutiny over her administration's handling of a deadly wildfire after a report alleged she directed changes to an official after-action analysis to minimize the city's response failures. The controversy has prompted billionaire developer Rick Caruso to reconsider his plans not to seek the mayor's office in the upcoming election.

The Los Angeles Times reported on Wednesday that Bass, upon reviewing an early draft of the Los Angeles Fire Department's after-action report on the Palisades Fire, instructed then-interim Fire Chief Ronnie Villanueva to soften or remove sections highlighting departmental shortcomings. Sources familiar with the matter told the newspaper that Bass expressed concerns the unedited findings could expose the city to legal liability. The revisions reportedly included excising details about the department's decision not to fully staff or pre-deploy all available engines despite forecasts of high winds and severe fire danger. The final report, released in October, instead praised fire officials for adhering to standard protocols during the blaze, which destroyed more than 16,000 structures, caused $150 billion in...