LOS ANGELES — Six weeks after the start of the most destructive wildfire in city history, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass ousted the fire chief Friday amid a public rift over preparations for a potential blaze and finger-pointing between the chief and City Hall over responsibility for the devastation.

Bass, a first-term Democrat, said she is removing Chief Kristin Crowley immediately. “Los Angeles needs to move forward. This is a new day,” she told reporters at City Hall.

While Bass initially praised Crowley in the early hours of firefighting, she said she later learned an additional 1,000 firefighters could have been deployed the day the blaze ignited. Additionally, she said Crowley rebuffed a request to prepare a report on the fires that is a critical part of investigations into what happened and why.

“One thousand firefighters who could have been on the job fighting the fires were sent home” on Crowley’s watch, Bass said.

The Palisades Fire began during heavy winds Jan. 7, destroying or damaging nearly 8,000 homes, businesses and other structures and killing at least 12 people in the affluent LA neighborhood. Another wind-whipped fire started the same day in suburban Altadena, a community to the east, killing at least 17 people and destroying or damaging more than 10,000 homes and other buildings.

Bass has been facing criticism for being in Africa as part of a presidential delegation on the day the fire started, even though weather reports had warned of dangerous wind and wildfire conditions in the days before she left.

Speaking at City Hall, Bass said Crowley never notified her of the looming danger before she departed, even though that was standard practice since she took office in December 2022.

“She has my cellphone. She knows she can call me 24/7,” Bass said. “That did not happen this time.”

At City Hall, Bass was pressed again on how she could have been unaware of the fire risk before leaving the country, given widespread media coverage about intensifying winds and tinder-dry conditions. She didn’t appear to respond directly.

The Los Angeles Fire Department said it had no comment about the ousting of the chief. Crowley could not immediately be reached for comment. The mayor’s office said the former chief exercised her Civil Service rights to stay with the department but at a lower, yet-to-be determined rank.

Crowley was named fire chief in 2022 by Bass’ predecessor at a time when the department was in turmoil over allegations of rampant harassment, hazing and discrimination. She worked for the city fire department for more than 25 years and held nearly every role, including fire marshal, engineer and battalion chief.