When Disaster Strikes: Teh Fragile Chain of Emergency Alerts in Wildfires
When disaster strikes, government emergency alert systems promise to deliver critical information to keep residents safe.Yet, as the deadly LA wildfires have shown, this system relies on a complex chain of dialog that can—and frequently enough does—break.
The wind-driven wildfires that erupted in Southern California on january 7 exposed glaring flaws in evacuation alerts. In neighborhoods like Altadena, where the majority of fatalities occurred, evacuation orders came long after houses were already ablaze. Los Angeles County officials have since approved an outside review of the alert systems used during the Eaton Fire and Palisades Fire, responding to residents’ demands for accountability.
This isn’t an isolated issue. After-action reports from other major wildfires—such as the 2017 Tubbs Fire, the 2018 Camp Fire, and the 2023 Lahaina Fire—have repeatedly highlighted systemic failures in alert systems. In the case of the Eaton Fire, some residents received no notifications at all, while others were awakened by urgent text messages in the dead of night.Susan Lee Streets, a resident of west Altadena, signed up for the alert app Nixle but received no specific warnings before her family fled their home around 10 p.m. after losing power and cell reception.”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.”
It wasn’t untill 3 a.m. that an alert finally reached her phone. by then, her home—and the cherished family keepsakes inside—were gone. “We lost everything, everything,” Streets said, breaking into tears.
Tricia Wachtendorf,director of the Disaster Research Center at the university of Delaware,emphasizes that alerts must be specific,clear,and timely to be effective. ”Just as you send the message at 3 a.m. doesn’t mean someone is hearing it,” she said.
The hours between midnight and 3:30 a.m. were particularly chaotic for first responders. Resources were stretched thin, and hurricane-force winds grounded air support, limiting authorities’ ability to assess the fire’s spread. Calls reporting burning homes flooded in as embers ignited roofs and yards. During one half-hour period, 17 new addresses were relayed to firefighters, even as some crews ran low on fuel.
By 12:07 a.m., CalFire records show, dozens of neighborhoods east of Altadena’s North Lake Avenue had been ordered to evacuate. Yet,none of the neighborhoods to the west—where all 17 confirmed fatalities occurred—had received evacuation warnings or orders,despite house fires being reported there more than an hour earlier.
Over the next three hours, fire crews scrambled to contain the blaze, radioing the command center to ensure it knew the fire was spreading west along the foothills near Sunset Ridge. Just before 3:30 a.m.,evacuation orders expanded substantially,with residents in 12 areas of Altadena and elsewhere told to ”leave now.”
jodi and Jeff Moreno first heard about the fire from a neighborhood app, but the delay in official alerts left many residents in the dark.
| Key Issues in Emergency Alerts |
|————————————|
| Delayed evacuation orders |
| Inconsistent notification delivery |
| Overstretched resources |
| Lack of air support due to winds |
The breakdown in communication during the LA wildfires underscores the urgent need for improvements in emergency alert systems. As wildfires grow more frequent and intense, ensuring timely, accurate, and accessible alerts could mean the difference between life and death.
For more information on creating a wildfire evacuation plan, visit the U.S. fire Governance’s website.
Chaos in the Night: How a Late Evacuation Warning Left Families Scrambling
When the first official evacuation warning came at 2:30 a.m., it was delivered through a bullhorn, leaving families like the Morenos scrambling to gather their loved ones and flee. With no text alerts until after they had already left, Jodi Moreno described the chaos: “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.”
The lack of timely and clear information left many residents uncertain about the fire’s location and the direction of embers. “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,” Moreno added.
A lifeline in the Chaos
Desperate for real-time updates, families like the Morenos turned to the Watch Duty app, which maps evacuation zones and consolidates information from multiple sources into a single stream. Launched in 2021 and now covering 22 states, the app became a critical tool during the crisis.
Nick Russell, vice president for operations at watch Duty, emphasized the importance of clear communication: “The ideal system for warning people is informing them, right? There’s certainly diligence necessary in the execution of official evacuation warning and orders or shelter in place, whatever the condition might be.But telling people why that discussion is taking place between law enforcement and fire is vital. And that’s what we’re doing.”
The Broken Chain of Command
The process of issuing evacuation notices begins with firefighters or other ground personnel recommending action, which then moves up the chain of command to sheriffs. Tho, during major emergencies, communication can be disrupted by issues like limited radio connectivity, wind noise, or technical problems. Incident command stations often struggle to synthesize information from multiple agencies, a critical step in understanding the scope of a wildfire.
Overlapping Systems, Confusing Coordination
In Los Angeles County, residents who sign up for emergency notifications through the AlertLACounty website are directed to a list of 57 links to neighborhood or city-specific alert systems, as well as a general one covering 19 other cities. The city of Los Angeles and the Sheriff’s Department also have their own alert systems. Though, it’s unclear how these overlapping systems, which use different software programs, coordinate with one another.
A Long road to Improvement
A 2024 Hazard Mitigation plan directed the city’s Emergency Management Department to assess gaps in alert systems, particularly in areas with poor cellphone connectivity, and implement solutions. However, this goal was given a “medium” priority level and a long-term timeline, with completion expected within the next decade.
Simultaneously occurring, the county’s Hazard Mitigation Plan, last updated in 2020, did not focus on emergency alerts or public notifications. Instead, it’s high-priority goals centered on educating the public about wind’s impact on wildfire risk and improving community wildfire protection.
Officials at the County’s Coordinated joint Information Center declined to comment beyond stating that an self-reliant review of evacuations and emergency notifications is planned, with the Office of Emergency Management, County Fire Department, and Sheriff’s Department fully engaging in the process.
Key Takeaways
| Issue | Details |
|———————————–|—————————————————————————–|
| Late Evacuation Warnings | First official warning came at 2:30 a.m. via bullhorn. |
| Lack of Text Alerts | no alerts until after families had already fled. |
| Watch Duty App | Became a lifeline for families, consolidating information from multiple sources. |
| Communication Challenges | Limited radio connectivity, wind noise, and technical issues disrupted alerts. |
| Overlapping Alert Systems | 57 links to neighborhood or city-specific systems in Los Angeles County. |
| Long-Term Solutions | Gaps in alert systems to be addressed within the next 10 years. |
Moving Forward
As wildfires continue to threaten communities, the need for a streamlined, coordinated alert system has never been more urgent. For now, apps like Watch Duty are filling the gap, but the duty ultimately lies with local authorities to ensure that no family is left scrambling in the dark.
What steps can your community take to improve emergency notifications? share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below.
By CHRISTOPHER L. KELLER, CLAUDIA LAUER, AMY TAXIN, and REBECCA BOONE, Associated Press
