Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has removed LAFD Chief Kristin Crowley, according to a statement from the city. Bass was expected to speak about the removal, which comes after weeks of mounting tensions between the mayor and fire chief during and following the deadly Los Angeles wildfires,

Mayor Bass has appointed former Chief Deputy Ronnie Villanueva, a 41-year-old LAFD veteran as interim fire chief.

“Acting in the best interests of Los Angeles’ public safety, and for the operations of the Los Angeles Fire Department, I have removed Kristin Crowley as Fire Chief,” Bass said in a statement Friday. “We know that 1,000 firefighters that could have been on duty on the morning the fires broke out were instead sent home on Chief Crowley’s watch.”