LA County response to deadly fires slowed by lack of resources, outdated alert process, report says [View all]

Source: AP

By CHRISTOPHER WEBER and REBECCA BOONE
Updated 5:46 AM CDT, September 26, 2025

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A lack of resources and outdated policies for sending emergency alerts led to delayed evacuation warnings as flames began consuming neighborhoods during deadly Los Angeles-area wildfires in January, according to an outside review.

The Independent After-Action Report produced by the consulting firm McChrystal Group was commissioned by Los Angeles County supervisors just weeks after the Eaton and Palisades fires killed more than 30 people and destroyed thousands of homes in and around Pacific Palisades and Altadena.

The report released Thursday says a series of weaknesses, including “outdated policies, inconsistent practices and communications vulnerabilities,” hampered the county’s response.

Interviews with survivors and an Associated Press analysis of available data found evacuation orders for some neighborhoods of Altadena where the Eaton Fire swept through came long after houses burned down. AP reporting also showed similar delays for the Palisades Fire, though the Los Angeles Police Department initially handled evacuation management. The report sheds more light on flaws in the county alert system.



Read more: https://apnews.com/article/eaton-fire-california-report-f053786a9670af06a0a90cd2ea7150f0