Erroneous Evacuation Alerts Spark Panic in Los Angeles Amid Wildfires

Los Angeles County officials apologized Friday after thousands of residents received erroneous emergency alerts urging them to prepare to evacuate, despite many being far from active wildfires. The alerts, sent late Thursday and early Friday, caused widespread panic and confusion, particularly among those already on edge due to ongoing fires that have damaged or destroyed over 12,000 structures.

“I can’t express enough how sorry I am for this experience,” said Kevin McGowan, director of the Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management, during a Friday morning news conference. McGowan emphasized that his top priority is identifying the cause of the faulty alerts and preventing future errors. The incident highlights the challenges of managing emergency communications in a sprawling metropolitan area like Los Angeles, where multiple fires are burning simultaneously.

The first erroneous alert was sent around 4 p.m. Thursday, intended for residents near the Kenneth fire. However, it reached thousands of people far outside the evacuation zone, including residents as far as 20 miles away. A follow-up message urging recipients to disregard the alert was sent shortly after, but the initial warning continued to resend randomly throughout the night and into Friday morning.

“Trust in government is paramount during a disaster,” said Ron Galperin, former Los Angeles city controller and author of reports on the city’s emergency alert system. “If you don’t do it right, the implications are potentially catastrophic.” Galperin noted that the region’s patchwork of cities and counties, each with its own alert systems, complicates emergency communication efforts.

At the news conference, McGowan urged residents to verify evacuation orders through official websites or by dialing 211. However, L.A. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger criticized this approach, calling it “absolutely absurd” to expect residents to check online after receiving an official alert. “I’m not going to tell people, ‘If you get the alert, go on and check,’” Barger said, though she offered no alternative solution.

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Deanne Criswell, speaking remotely from California during a White House briefing, confirmed that FEMA is providing technical assistance to local officials to address the issue. “We have to be able to send out accurate information so people know to believe it,” Criswell said.

Meanwhile, tracking app Watch Duty reported a surge in new users, with 600,000 sign-ups in the past 24 hours. The app, which provides real-time wildfire updates, has become a go-to resource for many residents frustrated with official alerts. “People are going to these apps because they present information in a more user-friendly way,” Galperin said.

As officials work to resolve the technical issues, McGowan urged residents not to disable emergency alerts. “These alert tools have saved lives during this emergency,” he said. However, the repeated errors have eroded public trust, with many residents ignoring official warnings or turning to alternative sources for information.