LA County report ties fire deaths to resource gaps
An independent After-Action Report by the McChrystal Group, released Sept. 25–26, 2025 and commissioned by Los Angeles County supervisors, finds that staffing shortages, outdated alert policies and communications failures delayed evacuation warnings as the Eaton and Palisades wildfires swept through Altadena and Pacific Palisades in January 2025 — events that killed more than 30 people and destroyed thousands of homes. The review singles out under-resourced Office of Emergency Management staffing, high sheriff's deputy vacancies, limited training on new Genasys alert software, and unreliable field communications as key contributors to the slow public-notification process.
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LA County response to deadly fires slowed by lack of resources, report says
New information:
- After-Action Report by McChrystal Group released the week of Sept. 26, 2025 identifies systemic failures in LA County emergency response.
- Eaton and Palisades fires in January 2025 killed more than 30 people and destroyed thousands of homes in Altadena and Pacific Palisades.
- Report cites staffing shortages (notably sheriff deputy vacancies), OEM under-resourcing, only four staff trained on Genasys alert software after a November contract expansion, and unreliable cellular/connectivity and reporting platforms in the field.