Kristin Crowley, the chief of the Los Angeles Fire Department, has been sacked by the city’s mayor over her handling of the Palisades fire last month.

The decision was announced by Karen Bass, the mayor, who herself faced a torrent of criticism over the blaze.

The wildfire claimed 12 lives and destroyed thousands of buildings, including the homes of Hollywood actors and executives.

Sir Anthony Hopkins, Billy Crystal, Paris Hilton, Mel Gibson and Julia Louis-Dreyfus were among those who lost their houses.

It took 24 days to contain a fire which, fuelled by hurricane-force Santa Ana winds, swept through nearly 24,000 acres and razed nearly 7,000 buildings.

After one of the worst fires in Los Angeles history, it emerged that fire hydrants had run dry.