From the Los Angeles Times: Fire Chief Millage Peaks announced Monday that he will be stepping down as head of the Los Angeles Fire Department, just 22 months after he took the helm.

Peaks, who began his career as a firefighter for the city 35 years ago, oversaw the department during a period of unprecedented budget cuts and staff reductions. He said he was leaving on good terms, but acknowledged that the cuts made his time as chief "the toughest years of my life."

His retirement comes about a month after the City Council approved a controversial redeployment plan called for firetrucks or ambulances at about one-fourth of the city's 106 fire stations to be put out of service. Read the entire article here.