A series of outdated policies, weaknesses and systemic vulnerabilities hampered the effectiveness of emergency notifications and evacuation orders during January's devastating and deadly Eaton and Palisades wildfires, according to a county-commissioned independent review released Thursday.
The "Independent After-Action Report" was commissioned by the Board of Supervisors and produced by McChrystal Group, a consulting firm led by retired four-star Gen. Stanley McChrystal. The firm was charged with conducting "an independent after-action review of alerts and evacuations" to provide "a comprehensive picture of actions taken during the catastrophic January wildfires along with recommendations to help guide future Los Angeles County responses."
The report is available HERE.
Some concerns arose during and after the fires regarding the effectiveness of community notifications in terms of evacuation warnings and alerts -- particularly following warning messages that were accidentally transmitted to thousands of residents across the Southland who weren't intended to receive them. Questions also arose regarding the effectiveness or absence of warnings for many Altadena-area residents at the onset of the Eaton Fire.
The report noted that investigators found "no single point of failure" relating to public alerts, warnings and notifications.
"Instead, a series of weaknesses, including outdated policies, inconsistent practices and communications vulnerabilities impacted the system's effectiveness," according to the report. "These systemic issues did not manifest uniformly across the two major fires. The effects of these weaknesses varied based on environmental conditions, community readiness and operational complexity caused by the variables of wind, power outages and fire behavior."
The report's authors outlined key differences in the Palisades and Eaton fires, noting that the Palisades blaze erupted during daylight hours in a community that was familiar with wildfire risks. The Eaton Fire, however, occurred at night in an area not traditionally associated with severe wildfire danger.
"Some residents in Altadena reported receiving little or no warning before the fire reached their neighborhoods," according to the report.
"Beyond alerting and evacuation operations, this review identified systemic issues that impacted the alert and evacuation response," the document states. "Outdated and inconsistent policies, protocols and standard operating procedures created ambiguity around evacuation authority and responsibilities. In many cases, decision-making roles were unclear, and pre-incident public messaging responsibilities lacked standardization across agencies. These gaps contributed to nonuniform preparedness strategies across jurisdictions and slowed coordinated efforts."
The report also cited "longstanding challenges" regarding training, staffing, resource management and interagency cooperation that "further strained the response."
"During this review, law enforcement and emergency managers reported inconsistent training around wildfire evacuations, highlighting the need for cross-disciplinary exercises and clearer staffing models for surge scenarios," the report states. "Equipment and personnel shortages were magnified under the extreme conditions of this incident. Compounding this were gaps in situational awareness tools and communications interoperability, which impaired real-time coordination."
Some residents reported "confusion and frustration" over inconsistent messaging from authorities, and a lack of clear situational updates.
"Future preparedness efforts will require a more integrated approach to public information in collaboration with interagency and community partners to enhance clarity," the report states.
Want to get caught up on what's happening in SoCal every weekday afternoon? Click to follow The L.A. Local wherever you get podcasts.
The wildfires killed 31 people and destroyed 16,251 properties in Altadena and Pacific Palisades, along with parts of Los Angeles, Pasadena, Sierra Madre and Malibu.
The report stressed that despite the identified breakdowns in communications and training, "frontline responders acted decisively and, in many cases, heroically, in the face of extraordinary conditions."
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna issued a statement that called the review an important tool.
"The Palisades and Eaton Fires were the worst natural disaster in our county's history, and it tested us and our community in every possible way," Luna said. "This After-Action Report is not only a reflection about the past, but it's a tool for building a stronger emergency response. It highlights what went well and identifies where we can improve, with a focus on enhanced cross training and better technology to strengthen our preparedness. I'm deeply proud of how our deputy sheriffs performed with professionalism and dedication under dangerous and extraordinary circumstances, which exemplifies the strength and resilience of our department, and how we serve our communities."
The Board of Supervisors is scheduled to discuss the review and its findings and recommendations at the board's regularly scheduled public meeting on Tuesday.
Follow KNX News 97.1 FM
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok