An imagined scene of people protesting the Palisades report. Executed by MS CoPilot from a prompt by Bjorn Ulfsson

26 Jan 2026

New LAFD chief rejects probe into edits that softened Palisades fire report

A growing controversy inside the Los Angeles Fire Department has intensified after newly appointed Fire Chief Jaime Moore announced he will not investigate who altered the department’s after‑action report on the catastrophic 2025 Palisades Fire, despite acknowledging that the document had been “watered down” to shield senior leadership from criticism.

The Los Angeles Times previously revealed that the official after‑action report—intended to document operational failures and guide future improvements—underwent significant edits that softened language, removed explicit criticism of command decisions, and reframed staffing failures as successes.

Seven drafts reviewed by reporters showed that early versions stated the department’s decision not to fully staff up ahead of extreme fire‑weather conditions “did not align” with policy. In the final public version, this was rewritten to claim the department went “above and beyond” its deployment matrix.

The report’s original author, Battalion Chief Kenneth Cook, refused to endorse the final version, calling it “highly unprofessional and inconsistent with our established standards.”

On January 6, Moore publicly acknowledged that the report had indeed been edited to reduce criticism of department leadership, confirming that multiple drafts were changed before his appointment as chief. He assured city officials that such interference “will never again happen while I am fire chief.”

However, just one week later, Moore stated he does not intend to determine who made the edits, arguing that looking backward would not benefit the department.
“I don’t think there’s really any benefit to me looking into who made the edits,” he said, emphasizing a forward‑looking approach focused on reforms rather than accountability.

Moore suggested that interim Fire Chief Ronnie Villanueva—who led the department when the report was released—was ultimately responsible for publishing the altered version, though Villanueva has not commented publicly.

The Palisades Fire, which erupted in January 2025, killed 12 people and destroyed thousands of homes, becoming one of the most destructive urban‑wildland fires in Los Angeles history.
The after‑action report identified multiple failures, including:

Insufficient pre‑deployment of engines and firefighters despite a “particularly dangerous situation” weather alert
Lack of wildland‑fire training among urban‑focused crews
Communication breakdowns and unclear command roles
Failure to fully extinguish the earlier Lachman Fire, which later reignited into the Palisades Fire

Moore has since stated that firefighters “never had a chance” to stop the blaze under the conditions they faced, citing inadequate staffing and preparation.

Community members and fire‑safety advocates have criticized Moore’s refusal to investigate the edits, arguing that accountability is essential to preventing future disasters.
Letters to the Los Angeles Times have questioned why the department is avoiding transparency when lives were lost and critical mistakes may have been concealed.

Moore insists the department has already implemented changes, including: