Anger after fire evacuation alert sent in error to millions in LA

In Altadena, California, the atmosphere is tense as wildfires rage across the Los Angeles region, leaving many residents feeling anxious and traumatized. The situation has been dire for several days, with no clear end in sight. On Thursday afternoon, a text alert was sent out to every cell phone in Los Angeles County, which is home to around 10 million people. The alert warned residents that they should prepare to evacuate because the fire was approaching. Rebecca Alvarez-Petit was in the middle of a video call for work when her phone began to blare loudly. The message read, 'An EVACUATION WARNING has been issued in your area. ' The alarming sound echoed around her, and soon, her colleagues received the same startling notification. 'It was like a massive panic that I was watching in real-time,' she recalled. As she and her colleagues scrambled to find out if they were in danger, a follow-up message arrived, instructing them to disregard the previous alert. While this brought a moment of relief, it quickly turned into anger. 'We are all on pins and needles, anxiously sitting by our phones, staring at the TV, and listening to the radio to stay informed because there wasn't a good system in place,' said Ms. Alvarez-Petit, who lives in West Los Angeles. 'And then this. It's like - you have got to be kidding me. ' The wildfires have already claimed the lives of at least 10 people, and many fear that this number could rise. The anxiety surrounding the fires has shifted into frustration over how the situation has been managed. Local officials have acknowledged some of the complaints, including issues with dry fire hydrants that hindered firefighting efforts and questions about the region's preparedness and investment in fire prevention. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass returned to the city from a pre-planned trip to Africa to find her city engulfed in flames. She faced intense scrutiny on Thursday regarding the region's readiness for such a crisis, her leadership during this emergency, and the water supply issues that hampered firefighters. 'Was I frustrated by this? Of course,' Mayor Bass responded when asked about the water problems and whether the area was adequately prepared. She emphasized that this is an 'unprecedented event. ' Like other officials, she pointed out that strong winds contributed to the rapid spread of the fires on Tuesday, which also prevented aircraft from dropping water or fire retardant on the flames. Mayor Bass noted that urban water systems and neighborhood fire hydrants are not designed to handle the demands of extinguishing thousands of acres of fire. She assured the public that there would be reviews of how the incident unfolded, examining how officials and agencies responded. 'When lives have been saved and homes have been saved, we will absolutely evaluate what worked, what didn't work, and hold accountable any body, department, or individual,' she stated. 'My focus right now is on the lives and homes. ' As the disaster continues to evolve, there is a growing need to understand why this situation occurred and how it escalated into the most destructive fire in Los Angeles history. Larry Villescas, a resident whose home was threatened by one of the five fires burning in Los Angeles County, grabbed the only tool he had - a garden hose - to protect his property. He and his neighbor worked quickly to extinguish the embers falling from the Eaton Fire, but soon, the hose ran dry. He watched helplessly as his neighbor's home ignited, followed by a loud boom as another nearby house caught fire. 'If we had water pressure, we would have been able to fight it,' Mr. Villescas lamented, standing in front of the charred remains of his home. He recalled seeing firefighters that night, as the community burned, sitting in their trucks, unable to assist. 'I remember my rage. It was like 'do something,' but they can't - there's no water pressure,' he expressed. 'It's just infuriating. How could this happen? ' Some experts have suggested that the water shortage is due to unprecedented demand rather than mismanagement. 'The problem is that the scope of the disaster is so vast that there are thousands of firefighters and hundreds of fire engines drawing upon water,' explained Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at the California Institute for Water Resources. 'Ultimately, only so much water can flow through pipes at a time. ' Other neighbors shared their concerns that the state was not prepared, despite the frequent occurrence of destructive fires. Hipolito Cisneros, who was surveying the remains of his now-destroyed home, stated that public utilities in the area have needed upgrades for years. 'We've lived here for 26 years and we've never seen it tested,' he remarked about the fire hydrant at the end of his block that failed to provide water when it was needed most. Down the street, Fernando Gonzalez was helping his brother sift through the rubble of his home of 15 years. He noted that his own home in Santa Clarita, about 45 minutes away in Los Angeles County, was also threatened by a different set of wildfires. 'We've just been on high alert,' he said. 'It's all around us, you know.