The author of a key report on the Palisades fire is upset over changes that have weakened him, sources said

The author of a Los Angeles Fire Department report after taking action on the Palisades fire is upset about changes made to the report, without his involvement, that undermine the failure of city leaders and the LAFD to prepare for and fight the catastrophic fire on January 7, according to two sources familiar with the matter.

The writer’s complaints came to Mayor Karen Bass’ office in mid-November, after the LAFD made the report public, said Clara Karger, a spokeswoman for Bass.

“The mayor asked Chief Moore about the concerns,” Karger said last week, referring to LAFD Chief Jaime Moore.

The sources, who asked not to be identified to protect their relationship with LAFD and city officials, said the report by Battalion Chief Kenneth Cook is intended to be the final draft. Cook declined to comment.

The Times posted an article Saturday analyzing seven documents of the after-action report, obtained through a public records request. The most important changes involved LAFD deployment decisions ahead of a fire, as wind warnings became increasingly dire.

In one incident, LAFD officials removed language saying the decision to not be fully staffed and to deploy all crews and engines ahead of severe weather was “inconsistent” with the department’s policy and procedures on red flag days.

Instead, the final report said the number of engine companies released before the fire “exceeded the standard LAFD deployment matrix.”

The removal and revision drew criticism from some who questioned the LAFD’s ability to admit its mistakes before and during the fire — and avoid repeating them in the future.

In the months since the fire, residents who lost their homes have expressed anger over unanswered questions and conflicting information about how LAFD officials prepared for dangerous weather and how they handled a small New Year’s Day fire, called the Lachman fire, that reignited in the Palisades fire six days later.

On Saturday, after the Times report was published online, City Council Member Monica Rodriguez released a statement about the takedown of the report after the action.

“Today’s report makes it clear that accountability is an option when after-the-fact reports are made in-house by political appointees,” said Rodriguez. “When these reports are deliberately reduced to cover up failures, it leaves Angelenos, firefighters, and city officials not fully understanding what happened and what needs to be changed. After-action reports must be independent to ensure an honest review to avoid repeating catastrophic mistakes and protect our communities in the future.”

Former interim Fire Chief Ronnie Villanueva, who oversaw the completion of the report before it was made public in October, did not respond to requests for comment.

Karger, the Bass spokesman, said this month that the report was “written and edited by the Fire Department.” Bass’ office did not seek to change the plans and asked the LAFD only to confirm the accuracy of things like weather and how the department’s budget factored into the disaster, Karger said in an email.

The LAFD declined to answer questions about the updates and Cook’s concerns, citing the ongoing federal court case. Federal prosecutors have charged a Palisades resident with starting the Lachman fire.

David Loy, legal director of the First Amendment Coalition, said it was “disrespectful” for LAFD officials to cite the investigation as the reason they could not answer The Times’ questions.

“There is nothing about the existence of a government investigation that prevents them from commenting,” said Loy. “They just chose not to comment.”

Three of the seven copies of the after-action report obtained by the Times are dated: Two versions dated Aug. 25, and there are drafts from Oct. 6, two days before the LAFD released its final report to the public.

Another draft of the after-action report described an on-duty LAFD captain who called Fire Station 23 in Palisades on Jan. 7 to report that the “Lachman fire has started again,” indicating the captain’s belief that the Palisades fire was caused by an earlier outbreak.

The reference was removed from one draft, then returned to the public version, which contains only a brief mention of the Lachman fire. Some say the failure of an after-action report to examine the handling of the Lachman fire was designed to shield LAFD leadership and the Bass administration from criticism and accountability.

A few weeks after the report was issued, the Times reported that the chief of staff had ordered firefighters to close their hoses and leave the blaze on Jan. 2, although they complained that the ground is still smoking and the rocks are still hot until now. Another trooper assigned to the LAFD’s disaster management unit knew about the complaints for months, but the department withheld that information from an after-action report.

After The Times report, Bass called on Villanueva to “thoroughly investigate” the LAFD’s mistakes in putting out the Lachman fire.

Moore, an LAFD veteran who became chief last month, was tasked with authorizing an independent investigation requested by Bass.

A few important items were completely removed from the after-action report. The final version listed only 42 items in the recommendations and lessons learned section, while the first version reviewed by the Times listed 74.

The section on “failures” was renamed “key challenges,” and the item that said staff and leaders violated national guidelines to prevent firefighter deaths and injuries was scratched.

Another deleted verse said some workers waited more than an hour to be assigned on the day of the fire.

Two drafts contained typed notes in the margins with suggestions that seemed intended to soften the outcome of the report and burnish the Fire Department’s image. One note suggested replacing the image on the cover page – showing palm trees burning against an orange sky – with a “positive” image, such as “frontline firefighters.” The cover of the final report shows the LAFD logo.

In addition to the mayor’s office, Cook’s concerns reached the president of the Board of Fire Commissioners, which provides oversight of the LAFD. Genethia Hudley Hayes, the president of the board, told The Times that she had heard rumors that the author of the report was unhappy, but had not looked into the matter.

“If I were to worry about all the rumors coming out of the LAFD, I would spend my entire day, Monday through Friday, dispelling rumors,” he said.

He said he expressed concern to Villanueva and the city attorney’s office about whether the “findings” may have been or will be changed.

“I didn’t feel like they were lying about anything,” she said. “I didn’t feel like they were trying to hide anything.”

Pringle is a former staff writer for The Times.