Alert Failures, Communication Chaos Worsened LA Fires' Toll

An outside review of Los Angeles County's response to January's deadly wildfires found a lack of resources and outdated policies for sending emergency alerts led to delays in warning residents about the need to evacuate as flames began consuming neighborhoods in Altadena and Pacific Palisades, per the AP.

• The Independent After-Action Report produced by the consulting firm McChrystal Group was commissioned by county supervisors just weeks after the Eaton and Palisades fires killed more than 30 people and destroyed thousands of homes in highly dense areas of Los Angeles County.
• The report released Thursday says a series of weaknesses, including "outdated policies, inconsistent practices and communications vulnerabilities," hampered the effectiveness of the county's response. Some residents didn't receive emergency alerts until well after homes went up in flames.

• The report cited critical staffing shortages, including a high number of sheriff's deputy vacancies and an under-resourced Office of Emergency Management.
• In addition, first responders and incident commanders were unable to consistently share real-time information due to unreliable cellular connectivity, inconsistent field reporting methods, and the use of various unconnected platforms.
• "While frontline responders acted decisively and, in many cases, heroically, in the face of extraordinary conditions, the events underscored the need for clearer policies, stronger training, integrated tools, and improved public communication," the report says.