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When emergencies strike, alert systems are supposed to be lifelines, delivering critical safety information to those in harm’s way. Yet recent catastrophic events have exposed troubling gaps in these vital communication networks.
The devastating Los Angeles wildfires that erupted on January 7 highlighted these systemic weaknesses. In Altadena, where multiple fatalities occurred, crucial evacuation notices arrived well after homes were already ablaze. This prompted Los Angeles County officials to approve an external investigation of alert operations for both the Eaton and Palisades fires, following intense pressure from community members.
This isn’t an isolated incident. Similar communication breakdowns have plagued other major disasters, including California’s 2017 Tubbs Fire, 2018 Camp Fire, and the concurrent Woolsey Fire. The pattern continued with Colorado’s 2021 Marshall Fire and Hawaii’s 2023 Lahaina Fire, all resulting in significant loss of life and property.
LA County lost control of their emergency alert system. It was sending out false evacuation orders and alerts.
Complete and total incompetence. pic.twitter.com/WLI3iIyyjc
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) January 10, 2025
In the recent Los Angeles fires, numerous residents who lost their homes reported receiving no warnings about danger in their areas. Susan Lee, a Nixle alert subscriber, received no neighborhood-specific notifications before evacuating with her family around 10 PM, after losing power and cell service.
“If we had even been informed that houses and other structures were burning down, we would have known better what was happening,” she said. “We almost went to sleep that night with two kids and a dog and two cats in the house.”
Lee only received an alert after 3 AM. Her home’s destruction claimed irreplaceable family treasures, including her children’s Christmas ornaments.
“We lost everything, everything,” Lee said, breaking into tears.
The University of Delaware’s Disaster Research Center director, Tricia Wachtendorf, emphasizes that alerts must be precise and understandable. People need to hear, comprehend, trust, personalize, and verify messages before taking action.
“Just because you send the message at 3 a.m. doesn’t mean someone is hearing it,” Wachtendorf said.
Between midnight and 3:30 AM, first responders faced severe challenges. Strong winds prevented aerial support, while ground crews struggled with overwhelming demands and dwindling resources. During one 30-minute span, they received reports of fires at 17 new locations.
By 12:07 AM, evacuation orders covered numerous neighborhoods east of Altadena’s North Lake Avenue. However, areas west of this boundary – where all 17 confirmed deaths occurred – remained without evacuation notices, despite reported fires there an hour earlier.
Jodi and Jeff Moreno learned about the fire through a neighborhood app, receiving their first official warning around 2:30 AM via bullhorn announcements. Text alerts arrived only after their evacuation.
JUST IN: Los Angeles accidentally sends an evacuation alert to every LA county resident, emergency alert goes off during live news coverage.
The alert told people to “gather loved ones, pets, and supplies.”
Here is the warning that was sent out:
“This is an emergency message… pic.twitter.com/zkPHgibU7z
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) January 10, 2025
“On the neighborhood apps, some people were going, some people were staying. It was a wide variety of responses. We were navigating it on our own,” Jodi Moreno said. “It’s hard for us to gauge where exactly is that fire, where are the embers blowing. … Those are things I would rely on people who are monitoring it” for information.
Los Angeles County’s alert system infrastructure is complex, with residents needing to navigate multiple platforms and signup processes. The county’s AlertLACounty website directs users to 57 different neighborhood or city alert system links, plus a general system covering 19 additional cities. The city of Los Angeles and Sheriff’s Department maintain separate systems.
While a 2024 Hazard Mitigation plan aims to address alert system gaps, it’s designated as medium priority with a 10-year implementation timeline. The county’s 2020 plan prioritized wind education and community protection over emergency notification improvements.
County officials have declined detailed comment, stating only that an independent review of evacuation and emergency notification procedures is forthcoming, with full participation from emergency management, fire, and law enforcement agencies.
