Attorney General Rob Bonta noted that the 14,000-acre fire killed 19 people, all but one of whom lived in the West Altadena area, and the average age of the fire victims was 77 years old.
“The investigation we’ve launched is driven by one over-arching question — did the Los Angeles County Fire Department’s delay in notifying and evacuating the historically Black West Altadena community during the Eaton Fire violate state anti-discrimination and disability rights laws?” Bonta said at a Los Angeles news conference announcing the investigation. “Meaning, did unlawful race-, disability- or age-based discrimination in the emergency response result in a delayed evacuation notification that disproportionately impacted West Altadena residents?
“That’s the question. We don’t know the answer. We don’t know what this investigation will turn up, which is the whole point — to pursue the facts, uncover, reveal the facts and follow the facts.
“We’re also not starting from a blank slate here. There are concerning circumstances surrounding the Eaton Fire that have raised questions, making this investigation necessary. The biggest of which is that there was indisputably a delayed emergency notification and evacuation of West Altadena. We’re here to ask why.”
Questions about the emergency response to the fire were raised shortly after the deadly blaze, with the Los Angeles Times reporting that evacuation alerts were issued in West Altadena only well after the fire was raging in the community, and fewer firefighting resources were deployed into the area, as compared to the eastern portion of Altadena.
The Times reports noted that residents living east of Lake Avenue received evacuation notices within an hour of the fire erupting on Jan. 7, 2025, but residents west of Lake were not notified for nearly nine hours. An evacuation order was not issued in West Altadena until roughly 3:30 a.m. Jan. 8, with some residents not receiving evacuation orders until nearly three hours after that, The Times reported.
West Altadena resident groups have been pressing the state to conduct an investigation into the issue. A group called Altadena for Accountability issued a statement Thursday hailing Bonta’s announcement.
“Amidst increasing climate change catastrophes, this investigation is expected to enforce a high standard of equity in the dispensation of emergency services during a disaster for all communities regardless of race, disability, or socioeconomic status,” according to the group.
The organization pointed to reports that “sheriff and fire personnel failed to conduct timely door-knocks, adequate in-person evacuation support, and described that a shortage of LASD duty vehicles hindered coverage across all impacted neighborhoods, while a Los Angeles Times investigation revealed that only one county fire patrol was deployed to West Altadena during the fire’s first 12 hours and 911 calls for help also went ignored.”
“While there have been prior efforts to analyze and audit the fires in Los Angeles, none rose to the level of investigation. In a time where climate change injustices are increasing, this move by Attorney General Rob Bonta marks a distinct and consequential path forward for fire survivors in search of accountability and justice,” according to the group.
County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, who represents the Altadena area, said she welcomes the AG’s investigation.
“If there were gaps, we must acknowledge them. If there were disparities, we must confront them. And if systems need to change, we must change them,” Barger said in a statement. “I stand ready to support the attorney general’s efforts and remain committed to working collaboratively to ensure we learn from this tragedy and strengthen our emergency response systems for every community we serve.”
The county Board of Supervisors last year ordered an independent review of the fire response. The resulting report, released in September by the McChrystal Group pointed to a series of outdated policies, weaknesses and systemic vulnerabilities that hampered emergency notifications and evacuation orders during the early onset of the Eaton and Palisades fires.
The consultant group found “no single point of failure” relating to lapses in public alerts, warnings and notifications, referring instead to widespread weaknesses in the overall system.
“Beyond alerting and evacuation operations, this review identified systemic issues that impacted the alert and evacuation response,” the report stated. “Outdated and inconsistent policies, protocols and standard operating procedures created ambiguity around evacuation authority and responsibilities. In many cases, decision-making roles were unclear, and pre-incident public messaging responsibilities lacked standardization across agencies. These gaps contributed to nonuniform preparedness strategies across jurisdictions and slowed coordinated efforts.”
In response to the report, Sheriff Robert Luna said last year: “The Palisades and Eaton Fires were the worst natural disaster in our county’s history, and it tested us and our community in every possible way. This After- Action Report is not only a reflection about the past, but it’s a tool for building a stronger emergency response. It highlights what went well and identifies where we can improve, with a focus on enhanced cross training and better technology to strengthen our preparedness. I’m deeply proud of how our deputy sheriffs performed with professionalism and dedication under dangerous and extraordinary circumstances, which exemplifies the strength and resilience of our department, and how we serve our communities.”
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