Politics & Government
Late And False Evacuation Warnings During LA Fires Prompt Review
Some people near the Eaton Fire didn't get evacuation alerts for several hours, while millions were erroneously told to evacuate other fires
LOS ANGELES, CA — Two Los Angeles County supervisors introduced a motion Tuesday calling for an independent review of the emergency notification systems used during fires and other crises to inform residents of evacuation orders.
The notification system generated complaints in the early days of the Los Angeles-area firestorm when several erroneous alerts were sent to cell phones countywide telling residents they were in an evacuation area. Those alerts were intended to be sent to residents near the Kenneth Fire in the West Hills area, but they instead went to millions of residents countywide, and even some in Orange County.
Authorities at the time called it a technology issue, not human error.
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On Tuesday, the Los Angeles Times reported that residents in the Altadena area west of Lake Avenue did not receive emergency evacuation orders until roughly nine hours after the Eaton Fire erupted despite the blaze burning uncontrollably and spreading rapidly due to fierce Santa Ana winds. According to The Times, sheriff's deputies were using loudspeakers to urge people to evacuate the area west of Lake Avenue around 2 a.m. that morning, but an evacuation alert wasn't sent to residents until nearly 3:30 a.m.
All 17 people known to have died thus far in the Eaton Fire lived west of Lake Avenue, the paper reported.
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In their motion introduced Tuesday and expected to be considered by the board next week, Supervisors Kathryn Barger and Lindsey Horvath called for an external, independent analysis of the emergency alert systems used by the county.
"Our board is committed to transparency, accountability, and continuous improvement in the face of increasingly severe natural disasters," Barger said in a statement. "This independent assessment will also ensure we are better prepared for future disasters and can act swiftly to protect lives and property."
Horvath added: "Our communities affected by the Palisades, Eaton, and all other fires deserve a transparent and full accounting of everything that occurred. Los Angeles County is committed to understanding every aspect of these events to ensure we are continually improving our emergency management practices and better protecting our residents."
The motion calls for the board to receive a progress report every 90 days until the few review is completed.
City News Service
