Houston Fire Chief Sam Peña Abruptly Resigns

Houston Fire Chief Sam Peña abruptly resigned Friday and will be replaced by Office of Emergency Management Director Thomas Muñoz.

Multiple reports indicated that the staff shakeup was confirmed by Houston Mayor John Whitmire on Friday, though further details of Peña’s departure remain unclear. The mayor’s office had not yet responded to Chron’s requests for confirmation and comment at the time of this writing. The Houston Fire Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Peña served in the fire department for 28 years and served as fire chief for six years. The firing is the latest in a series of tumultuous departures under Mayor Whitmire. Earlier this year, Police Chief Troy Finner resigned amid a scandal in the department in which law enforcement officers left hundreds of thousands of cases unsolved due to alleged personnel issues. Finner recently spoke to the Houston Chronicle claiming his firing was used as a cover-up for any further investigation.

On May 30 of this year, Mayor Whitmire appointed Muñoz as interim director of public safety and homeland security while continuing to perform his emergency management duties.

“Houston has experienced three severe weather events in 2024, and Tom has done an outstanding job leading our emergency operations. During these events, I have worked closely with Chief Muñoz,” Mayor Whitmire said in a statement at the time. “His leadership is unmatched, and I know he is the right person to serve as interim director. He will keep Houstonians informed, prepared, and protected.”

This story is currently under development and will be updated.