- The Los Angeles County Fire Department mistakenly sent a countywide evacuation warning to nearly 10 million county residents on Jan. 9.
- Officials confirmed the mistake was due to a technical issue, not human error, but the cause remains unclear, leaving residents frustrated and fearful.
- A correction was sent 20 minutes later, but not all recipients received it, exacerbating uncertainty during an already chaotic wildfire crisis.
- The incident highlights systemic issues in emergency communication, compounded by inconsistent information from officials and a surge in reliance on alternative sources like the app Watch Duty.
The Los Angeles County Fire Department sent a mistaken evacuation warning to the nearly 10 million residents of Los Angeles County on the afternoon of Thursday, Jan. 9.
The erroneous alert has already exacerbated an already dire situation as the wildfires continue to ravage the county and other parts of Southern California, leaving residents frustrated, confused and fearful.
The alert was set at approximately 3:57 p.m. P.T. through text message, instructing recipients to prepare to evacuate even though many of those who received the message lived far from active fire zones. The message read: “NEW: This is an emergency message from the Los Angeles County Fire Department. An EVACUATION WARNING has been issued in your area. Remain vigilant of any threats and be ready to evacuate. Gather loved ones, pets and supplies. Continue to monitor local weather, news and the webpage alertla.org for more information."
The alert was intended only for residents of Calabasas, Agoura Hills and West Hills, areas near the Kenneth Fire, which ignited Thursday afternoon. However, due to what officials described as a technical error, the message was broadcast countywide, reaching residents in cities like Culver City, Long Beach and Santa Monica.
A follow-up alert, issued about 20 minutes later, instructed residents to “disregard the last evacuation warning.” However, not all recipients received the correction, leaving many in a state of uncertainty. (Related: L.A. County Fire Department donated essential firefighting equipment to Ukraine – and now Los Angeles is burning.)
"We understand that these wildfires have created great anxiety, hardship and distress among our residents, and we are committed to sharing accurate information," said Kevin McGowan, director of the Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management, in a statement.
McGowan further told NBC Los Angeles that the error was not human-related, as the correct zones had been selected.
"We do not understand at the moment what caused that error," he said. "So we are working to troubleshoot that."
Emergency officials facing difficulties communicating during disaster
The incident underscores the challenges faced by local authorities in managing communication during one of the most devastating wildfire seasons in Los Angeles history.
The ongoing blazes have burned over 33,000 acres, destroyed tens of thousands of structures, killed at least seven people and forced more than 170,000 residents to evacuate. The fires remain largely uncontained, with red flag warnings for Santa Ana winds extending through Friday, Jan. 10.
The erroneous alert added to the chaos of a week marked by inconsistent and unreliable information from government sources.
At a press conference the day before the warning was erroneously sent out, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, who was in Ghana when the fires erupted, directed residents to a non-existent "URL" for emergency resources.
"If you need help, emergency information, resources and shelter is available," Bass said. "All of this can be found at URL."
In the absence of clear guidance from officials, many residents have turned to alternative sources for real-time updates. The nonprofit-run app Watch Duty, which relies on data from government sources and volunteers, has seen a surge in users, adding 600,000 in the past 24 hours alone. The repeated missteps have left residents frustrated.
"My entire area just got an evacuation Amber alert, which turned out to be for West Hills, not Beverly Hills," one user wrote on X. "Seriously? As if we're not already anxiety-ridden enough."
Another user added, “I got an evacuation warning phone alert in DTLA for a fire 20+ miles away. The little tech slip-ups are going to make things worse.”
The situation worsened early Friday when Beverly Hills residents received another erroneous evacuation alert around 4 a.m. Local officials quickly clarified on X that "there are no evacuations currently affecting BH."
The repeated errors highlight the critical need for reliable communication systems during emergencies. As wildfires continue to threaten lives and property, the stakes for accurate, timely information have never been higher. For Los Angeles County residents, already grappling with the physical and emotional toll of the fires, the missteps have only added to their burden.
Watch this video discussing how over 100,000 Los Angeles County residents have already been ordered to evacuate as the wildfires rage on.
This video is from the InfoWarSSideBand channel on Brighteon.com.
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Palisades Fire becomes L.A.'s most destructive wildfire amid water shortages and power outages.
Wildfires ravage Pacific Palisades, forcing 30,000 to flee as Santa Ana winds fuel uncontained blaze.
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