LOS ANGELES — Late at night on Jan. 6, Los Angeles Emergency Management Department General Manager Carol Parks sent a text message wishing Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Kristin Crowley a happy New Year.
“It’s my first opportunity to send this Public Safety leadership text,” Parks wrote. “Wishing it could have been on a blue sky day, but duty now calls.”
The following day, Los Angeles would witness the start of what would become the worst wildfires in city history, destroying large swaths of the Pacific Palisades area.
“Not good,” Los Angeles County Fire Chief Tony Marrone texted at 11:18 a.m.
“No,” Crowley responded.
ABC Los Angeles affiliate KABC investigative reporter Kevin Ozebek obtained text messages to and from Crowley in the moments leading up to the Palisades Fire through a public records request.
The text messages are among hundreds of records linked to the Palisades fire response released to Ozebek this week, providing new insight about what local officials were discussing before, during and after the blaze tore through neighborhoods.
RELATED: 7 On Your Side obtains report showing initial response to Palisades Fire
The records show how officials first started to realize how bad things were getting and that the windswept blazes had the upper-hand.
‘Potentially life-threatening and destructive impacts’
During the text exchange on Jan. 6, Parks informed Crowley that Los Angeles Emergency Operations Center would be “activated at Level 3 (lowest level with EMD staff)” the next day.
“Should conditions necessitate us elevating the EOC status, the three of us will need to remain in close contact,” Parks wrote, an apparent reference to Crowley and Los Angeles Police Department Chief Jim McDonnell.
Crowley responded in part, “I’ll be available to discuss any necessary actions with the both of you if the need arises.”
An EMD city leadership briefing dated Jan. 6 noted the weather forecasted for Los Angeles starting the following day said, “This windstorm event could lead to potentially life-threatening and destructive impacts similar in magnitude to the 2011 Pasadena windstorm.”
“Any fires that develop during this period may experience rapid growth and extreme behavior,” the briefing added, noting that the LAFD was expected to pre-deploy resources on Jan. 7 and that community emergency response teams would be activated.
‘Anything else you can send us, we will take it’
The next morning, in the hours after sunrise, text messages show that Los Angeles City Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson’s office had reached out to the LAFD “about the weather event.”
Harris-Dawson had been serving as acting mayor since Mayor Karen Bass was in Ghana at the time.
“I briefed him on our deployment in our preparation efforts. Also our needs for additional resources,” Hing told Crowley.
“Chief Leonard, please direct Matt to reach out to the appropriate Council Offices to ensure that they are properly informed about our preparedness for the weather event,” Crowley wrote to Battalion Chief Patrick Leonard minutes after at 9:04 a.m.
As fires started to break out in Los Angeles roughly an hour and a half later, the text messages show that concerns grew.
At 10:33 a.m., Chief Deputy Orin Saunders texted Crowley an LAFD alert showing that a brush fire had broken out in the Pacific Palisades area.
“Two brush fires in the city. Palisades and Hollywood,” Crowley wrote to someone at 10:35 a.m.
“Sending over staff now,” she texted Parks minutes later. “I would recommend level 2.”
Parks responded, “EOC staff have some concerns now that we have two fires.”
At 11:27 a.m., Crowley sent a message to an individual identified as Matt Hernandez asking for “Harris-Dawson’s number please.”
“I just asked him for his phone number and he said he will call you,” Hernandez responded.
Six minutes later, Parks wrote to Crowley, “The EOC is in need of leadership. Pls advise who from your department can respond to the EOC asap,” with Crowley responding that a chief was en route.
“Anything else you can send us, we will take it,” Crowley wrote to fire officials in neighboring counties at 12:02 p.m. “Starting to lose homes and people trapped.”
At 2:27 p.m., Crowley texted a fire official, “Can you send me the number … of resources and type assigned to the palisades incident?”
At 3 p.m., Crowley received a text stating, “Marqueece here Chief. At command post, eager to connect.”
Hours later at 7:19 p.m., Parks texted, “EOC Directors are recommending that we move to Level 1,” adding that the Level 1 status would start the next morning.
At 7:22 p.m., Los Angeles Department of Water and Power Chief Executive Officer Janisse Quiñones asked Crowley if “we can safely access this point,” adding that “we got evacuated before installing a reg station” and that otherwise, “we will run out of water in about 2 hours.”
The Department of Water and Power is currently facing a lawsuit from Pacific Palisades residents alleging that it was unprepared for a fire of this sort. The agency previously told ABC News that it does not comment on pending litigation.
‘I have not been fired’
In the days after the Palisades fire first broke out, Crowley received numerous signs of support.
“Getting mixed news reports about your future employment. If you need expert testimony in the future or simply a Jersey Guy to come out there and straighten things out with the pols, you have my number,” an unidentified individual texted on Jan.11.
“Good to hear from you,” Crowley responded. “I have not been fired. Thanks for looking out for me.”
Mayor Bass would fire Crowley on Feb. 21. Crowley opted to take a civil service demotion to a lower rank and is appealing her dismissal. The Los Angeles City Council is expected to discuss the personnel matter on Tuesday. The council can override Bass’ move to terminate the chief.
Crowley needs 10 votes from city councilmembers for her appeal to be approved.
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