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Report Finds No Failures in Altadena Evacuation Orders During Eaton Fire
An outside review commissioned by the Los Angeles County Fire Department found that incident commanders acted appropriately when issuing evacuation orders for west Altadena during the Eaton fire. The 51-page report concluded that commanders lacked real-time aerial intelligence due to high winds and could not have reasonably ordered earlier alerts.
May 19, 4:57 PM·1m read1 source
Los Angeles TimesAudio version
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A new report by CityGate Associates LLC concluded that Los Angeles County fire officials did not fail in their handling of evacuation orders during the Eaton fire that killed 19 people in Altadena. The 51-page document, released Monday and commissioned by the Los Angeles County Fire Department, stated that incident command could not have reasonably requested evacuation orders for west Altadena earlier because commanders were not aware the fire was moving into the area.
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M. The report noted that spot fires in the area before that time were primarily caused by downed power lines rather than a main fire front. The document also stated that predetermined evacuation zones using Lake Avenue as a boundary were followed, and that strong winds and lack of aircraft surveillance made stopping the fire spread impossible under the conditions present.
Community and Official Reactions L.A.
County Supervisor Kathryn Barger said the report found that Unified Command did not engage in misconduct or intentionally delay evacuation decisions affecting areas west of Lake Avenue. Barger added that the investigation should not dismiss residents' experiences and that public trust requires accountability.
The Altadena for Accountability group said the report offered deflection without accountability and that the Los Angeles County Fire Department declined to acknowledge meaningful failures. Shimica Gaskins, an Eaton fire survivor and group leader, said the report dismissed residents' experiences and failed to acknowledge that evacuation alerts came too late for many.
Art Botterell, a former senior emergency services coordinator for the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services, criticized the report for striking a defensive tone and not answering why many Altadena residents complained about the warning process.
