The race for Los Angeles mayor has erupted into turmoil this week as incumbent Karen Bass faces explosive allegations of altering a critical wildfire report, a frontrunning challenger withdrew following a family tragedy and her chief 2022 rival signaled he may jump back into the contest just days before the filing deadline.
The upheaval centers on a Los Angeles Times report published Feb. 4 alleging that Bass directed changes to an official after-action report on the devastating Palisades Fire to downplay failures by the city and fire department. The fire, which struck in January 2025, killed 12 people and destroyed about 6,800 structures in Pacific Palisades.
Within 24 hours of that report, the mayoral race underwent a dramatic reshaping. Former Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Austin Beutner, one of Bass's most prominent critics, announced Feb. 5 he was withdrawing from the race following the death of his 22-year-old daughter. That same week, billionaire developer Rick Caruso, who narrowly lost to Bass in 2022 and had previously announced he would not run in 2026, said he is "reconsidering" entering the race in light of the fire report allegations.
The convergence of events has thrown the June 2 primary into flux just days before the filing deadline, leaving Bass suddenly vulnerable despite entering the year as a strong incumbent.
The Los Angeles Times reported that Bass interfered with the Palisades Fire after-action report, citing two sources familiar with the mayor's office. According to the sources, Bass told then-interim Fire Chief Ronnie Villanueva that an initial draft documenting Los Angeles Fire Department shortcomings could expose the city to legal liability. She allegedly wanted certain critical findings removed or softened before the document went public.
The sources claimed Bass held onto the original draft until edits were made, though it remains unclear whether she or her staff edited line-by-line or gave general directives to the fire department. The Times investigation built on an earlier review of seven draft versions of the after-action report, which first revealed in December that significant changes were made prior to the final report's release on Oct. 8, 2025.
Media coverage has highlighted substantial differences between the report's initial draft and the final published version. An early draft stated that the decision not to fully staff and pre-deploy all available engines ahead of forecasted hurricane-force winds "did not align" with LAFD protocols for red flag days. In the final report, this was rewritten to claim the number of engine companies deployed actually "went above and beyond the standard LAFD pre-deployment matrix."
A section originally labeled "failures" was retitled as "primary challenges," and a note indicating that personnel violated national safety guidelines meant to prevent firefighter deaths and injuries was completely removed. Language describing how some fire crews waited over an hour for an assignment during the crisis was deleted.
Perhaps the most significant edit involved a detailed passage criticizing LAFD's preparedness. The draft argued that if the department had "augmented all available resources as done in years past" — including recalling off-duty firefighters — then all crews could have been deployed, which might have improved the response. This entire passage was removed. In its place, the final report asserted that LAFD "balanced fiscal responsibility with proper preparation" by adhering to its standard predeployment plan.
Fire Chief Jaime Moore, who took over the department in November 2025, acknowledged internally that the after-action report "was edited to reduce criticism" of LAFD leadership.
Bass flatly denied the allegations. In a Feb. 4 statement, her office said the mayor "made no changes" to any draft and only asked the fire department to ensure factual accuracy on technical points like weather conditions and budget figures. Bass emphasized she had been "unequivocal for months" in stating she merely reviewed an early draft and did not alter it.
"There is absolutely no reason why she would request those details be altered or erased when she herself has been critical of the response to the fire – full stop," her office said.
Bass's statement attacked the Los Angeles Times report, calling it "muckraking journalism at its lowest form" and condemning the paper for relying on "third-hand unsourced information."
Caruso seized on the allegations within hours of the Times report, blasting Bass on social media and in media appearances. He wrote that "Karen Bass actively covered up a report meant to examine the most significant disaster in Los Angeles history… This is a complete loss of public trust and an intentional act of covering up the actions that led to people dying."
In an interview with KNX radio, Caruso called the situation "an outrage."
"For months we've been talking about what we has been labeled firegate," Caruso said. "Now the city has attempted to cover up their failures in responding to the fire, and now we clearly know that this failure goes directly to Mayor bass, which is, you know, beyond unacceptable because you take an oath in office as a mayor to protect the residents of the city."
Caruso said the intent of an after-action report is "to learn from the mistakes, understand the mistakes that were made, be honest about the stakes, mistakes that were made, just so it doesn't happen again."
"And if you edit it, water it down, whatever you want to eliminate vision, then you're putting everybody at risk again, and it just violates the sacred duty that a elected official has to the residents," he said.
Asked whether Bass should resign if the allegations proved true, Caruso demurred. "I'm not going to go there at this time," he said. "I think everybody should read this report. I'm sure there's going to be more reporting after this. I doubt will be the last story The LA Times has. I think this is something that she really has to look in her own heart and say, what's best for the city."
Regarding his potential entry into the race, Caruso acknowledged receiving numerous calls urging him to run. "Well, there's no question I need to process all of this, and honestly, I haven't made a decision, but I'm worried about the city," he said. "There's no secret how much I love the city. I've talked about that for decades, and I do love this city, but, you know, I need to spend some time thinking about this."
When pressed on whether he was actively considering a run this week, Caruso said, "Well, I've got calls today, as you can imagine, and I know there's been a lot of posts on X and other places as and I'm on, but let's give me some time."
The dramatic developments came as Beutner announced his withdrawal from the race, citing the sudden death of his daughter Emily on Jan. 6. The 22-year-old's death came one month before his announcement.
"My family has experienced the unimaginable loss of our beloved daughter Emily. She was a magical person, the light of our lives. We are still in mourning," Beutner said, explaining that family needs to be his priority. He noted that a successful mayoral campaign requires "24/7" commitment that he cannot give while grieving.
Beutner had launched his campaign in October 2025 with a platform focused on homelessness, public safety, reducing housing costs and restoring jobs and economic opportunities. Throughout his brief campaign, he had been one of Bass's sharpest critics, repeatedly highlighting the city's handling of the Palisades wildfire.
At a recent Pacific Palisades event, Beutner charged that Bass was allowing a cover-up by watering down the fire department's after-action report, calling it a blatant attempt to mislead the public. He also criticized Bass for being abroad during the initial crisis and for hiking city fees for services like trash collection and sewer maintenance.
Beutner's exit removes one of the highest-profile challengers to Bass. The mayor still faces several opponents, including reality TV personality Spencer Pratt, community organizer Rae Chen Huang and tech entrepreneur Adam Miller. Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath and Pacific Palisades activist Maryam Zar have been weighing bids as well.