LA fire department paid celebrity PR firm $65,000 to shape messaging after Palisades fire

Firefighters battle the Palisades fire as it burns multiple structures in Los Angeles, California, on 7 January 2025. Photograph: Ethan Swope/AP

The official non-profit for the Los Angeles fire department has acknowledged that it had paid $65,000 to hire a leading communications agency to represent the agency last year.

The move came as the department was facing growing criticism over its handling of the Palisades fire.