Community Corner
LA Fire Justice Files Lawsuit Over Eaton Fire Alert Failures
Darden family and LA Fire Justice seek answers after delayed evacuation warnings that left West Altadena residents unaware of the danger.
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A wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family of Stacey Darden through LA Fire Justice is challenging how evacuation warnings were issued during the Eaton Fire and why residents in West Altadena received them hours after the fire had already advanced. The lawsuit names Southern California Edison, Edison International and Genasys Inc., the company that supplied Los Angeles County’s emergency alert software.
According to the complaint, the preset evacuation polygons used by the Genasys system did not include most West Altadena neighborhoods in the initial alert zones. Residents east of Lake Avenue received warnings early in the evening, while residents west of Lake did not receive their evacuation alerts until much later. Eighteen of the nineteen Altadena fatalities occurred in this area.
Stacey Darden, 54, lived west of Lake Avenue and was not included in an early evacuation polygon. Her family says she relied on news coverage because no official alert had reached her phone. Her last known phone activity was around 3:30 a.m. on January 8. The first mandatory evacuation alert for her zone was issued at 5:43 a.m.
Her sister, Gerry Darden, said the delay had tragic consequences.
“Edison started this fire, and Genasys never warned her that she was in danger,” she said. “The truth is that if these companies had done what they were supposed to do, Stacey would be alive today.”
Attorneys with LA Fire Justice say the timing of the alerts has been a major concern for residents since the fire, particularly in the neighborhoods west of Lake Avenue. Attorney Mikal Watts stated, “By the time an evacuation order was finally pushed to her phone, it was too late. This is not a tragedy of bad luck, this is a tragedy of corporate failures.” He also said, “At its core, this is really a case of digital redlining.”
Genasys has denied the allegations and stated, “Genasys denies any wrongdoing and will vigorously defend itself against these allegations.”
Chris Holden, CEO of LA Fire Justice and former Pasadena mayor and assemblymember, said the lawsuit reflects an effort to understand the problems that contributed to the loss of life.
“We cannot bring back the lives that were lost, but we can fight to make sure this never happens again,” Holden said. “Filing this lawsuit is an essential step toward justice, change and accountability.”
LA Fire Justice continues to speak with fire survivors in Altadena, Pasadena and Sierra Madre about delayed evacuation alerts, the ignition of the fire and ongoing recovery challenges. The organization says it will continue its work as the legal process moves forward and additional information emerges.
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