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A few weeks after the Palisades and Eaton fire, KTLA submitted numerous public record requests to communicate with unprecedented leaders in search of an emergency in the previous, previous, and previous fires. The goal was to gain insight into the actions taken by city and county leaders on these important days.
While Mayor Karen Bass was abroad, one request was sent to Los Angeles City Council Speaker Marquis Harris Dawson, who served as mayor in the start of the fire emergency.
The original KTLA request filed on February 26, 2025 requested digital communications (email, text, WhatsApp, etc.) derived from Marqueece Harris-Dawson on January 4, 2025 and February 24, 2025. As KTLA previously reported, Harris-Dawson’s office initially responded that the digital communications did not match the request.
Lasity says there is no digital communication to play the mayor during the Palisade fire
KTLA subsequently expanded its requests, requesting digital communications (email, text, WhatsApp, etc.) from January 4, 2025 to February 24, 2025, or from Marqueece Harris-Dawson.
This month, Harris-Dawson’s office provided dozens of new emails and PDF attachments from the requested date. Some documents directly referenced the preparations for the wind storm, the Palisade itself, and the days that followed.
Inside the document there was a point of topic created early in the emergency, possibly for use by Harris Dawson in interviews and newspaper conferences. At the time, the fire burned 778 acres and threatened 13,000 structures.
Firefighters watch helicopter water drop water on January 11, 2025 at the Pallisard Fire in Mandeville Canyon in Los Angeles. Lima will join California Governor Gavin Newsom and Sen. D-Caliph’s Governor Gavin Newsom and Sen. Alex Padilla to greet Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass on Wednesday, January 8, 2025 during the Palisades fire in Parisades, California (Jeff Gritchen/Orange County Registered)
City preparations were highlighted in the topical points.
“In response to the announcement of the National Weather Service of the upcoming storm, our city department has been prepared and LAFD is ready to respond to pre-deployed units in high-risk areas, the Los Angeles Water and Power Administration, utilities and more.”
The topic is, “For the fire department to do its job effectively, everyone needs to cooperate. LAFD and LAPD have received tactical warnings and only respond to emergency calls.”
By the next day, things had gotten worse. The fire grew to 5,000 acres, drove 30,000 people and destroyed 1,000 structures. “Cities are doing everything they can to fight these fires. They cannot prepare them for God’s actions. They are not spared resources…”
The document also addressed growing concern over the absence of Mayor Bass…
I am constantly in contact with the mayor, along with other local elected department heads. She has returned from overseas diplomatic envoys on behalf of the president and has returned to the ground since the plane landed. ”
Mayor Bus traveled to Ghana on January 4th at the Biden administration’s request and returned to Los Angeles on January 8th. Her level of involvement during the fire has been subject to months of scrutiny since then.
The emergency outline effectively outlines the emergency, thanking the first responders for their non-stop efforts, saying, “Let the people of Los Angeles say, the full power of the city stands with you. These devastating fires have led thousands of residents to evacuate their homes.
By January 9th, internal communications from the Emergency Operations Center reflect the scope of the natural disaster.
“After the fire is released for 12-24 hours, this operation moves to recovery and regroup mode. This part of the operation becomes a logistical challenge. The main challenge is to verify residents before providing access to the property. This part includes the PD. [departments] It is strengthened due to the number of structures and planting areas involved. Named agents: Liquidation of tiles left behind from street lighting, street trees, buildings, cars, etc. This is a big change. City agencies then provide public safety and assistance for most services. ”
KTLA asked Harris Dawson’s office why these documents were not included in the original request. The office said the initial request was interpreted as seeking data on the fire related to Mayor Bass and Chief Crawley, with no records being made. They said the revised request returned all responsive records.
Particularly missing from the document was direct communications with Harris Dawson, mayor, LAFD chief, or most other city leaders. There were no text messages or WhatsApp messages.
I asked Harris-Dawson’s office: “Does the City Council president use other email or SMS devices in connection with official work with the City of Los Angeles or other email addresses?”
The office did not respond specifically, but introduced it in a previous statement.
Other city offices that received similar public records requests are providing texts and other messages to KTLA.
A review of the document shows that Harris-Dawson used both city emails and personal Gmail addresses. His office said KTLA requests only cover city email accounts. However, under California’s public records law, personal emails may be subject to disclosure when they are related to official urban businesses.
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