The Brief

An after-action report released Thursday about the Eaton and Palisades fires details how the unprecedented January firestorms unfolded and the failings of L.A. County’s emergency response. It also lays out recommendations for changes and reforms.

At a news conference Thursday, county leaders and one of the report’s authors repeatedly emphasized that there was no single point of failure that led to the deaths of 31 people and devastation, but rather, a number of failures caused by a lack of preparation, coordination and resources. Those shortcomings were amplified by extreme winds and fire behavior.

“It is clear we must clarify our protocols for evacuations and alerts. We must practice and train as a region even more than we already do. We must communicate early, often, and with one voice. We must invest,” L.A. County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath said. “And above all, we must act.”

County leaders said they are committed to making the changes outlined in the report.

“ I wish there was one specific issue that was identified in this report that could have changed the course of history. There are steps we can take to ensure we do better, and we will do exactly that,” L.A. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger said.

The report — compiled by the McChrystal Group and released more than eight months after the fires — found that county practices around issuing emergency alerts, specifically evacuations, are “outdated, unclear and contradictory.”

That, coupled with confusion about who has what authority around evacuation decision-making, "led to inconsistencies in preparedness strategies across the county and a lack of clear documentation and communication processes," the report said.

In addition, the report said, first responders using a variety of unconnected platforms and inconsistent practices struggled to share information in real-time.

“The extreme and rapidly moving fire conditions challenged the situational awareness of fire and law enforcement first responders," the report said, "making it difficult to communicate the fire’s location to the public. This was especially prevalent during the Eaton Fire, when wind conditions grounded aerial resources, including surveillance, almost immediately after the fire started.”

L.A. County Sheriff Robert Luna and county Fire Department Chief Anthony Marrone said at the news conference that if the fires happened today, they’d be better prepared. However, they also emphasized that the extreme nature of the blazes made them particularly perilous.

Delayed alerts

The report highlighted an hours-long delay between when L.A. County firefighters in the field who suggested evacuations for areas west of Lake Avenue in Altadena and when the alerts were sent.

They suggested evacuating residents from Altadena to La Cañada Flintridge just before midnight on Jan. 7. However, an evacuation order wasn’t sent out until 3 a.m. Jan. 8, according to the report. Those at the Unified Command Center did not recall the suggestion, and reported that the fire front was not moving west at the time, the report said.

According to the report, neither L.A. County Fire nor the Sheriff’s Department told the Office of Emergency Management to send out evacuation warnings or orders between 1:12 a.m. and 3:25 a.m.

Barger acknowledged the demands for clarity she has received from West Altadena and said they're valid.

“There’s no question that there were failures, but it was not one specific individual or one specific department that can have an off with your heads,” she added. “At the end of the day, we’ve got to accept the fact that it truly was the perfect storm for the way that the failures worked as it relates to the alerts.”

Other factors that complicated the delivery of alerts to residents throughout the event, according to the report, included the mountainous geography of where both fires were burning; electricity shutoffs or downed power lines that shut down cellphone towers, meaning they couldn't transmit warnings to people's phones; and heavy smoke that degraded signal strength.

Recommendations

The report recommends restructuring and increasing staffing at the Office of Emergency Management, updating emergency preparedness training and policies and upgrading obsolete systems, as well as investing in public education about emergencies.

Kevin McGowan, director of the Office of Emergency Management, said his agency is reviewing all of the report’s recommendations and has already begun to make changes, including hiring six new positions. Shawn Tyrie, partner and government president of the McChrystal Group, pointed out that at the time of the fires, the Office of Emergency Management had only 37 full-time employees. New York City, with fewer square miles and fewer jurisdictional complications, has more than 200, Tyrie said.

County officials repeatedly said that they were committed to making the changes necessary, and have already begun to do so in some cases. Including, exploring new incident management systems.

While he said he appreciated the report and media stories over the past eight months, Marrone said, “ the reality is that no report or review or article will accurately capture or reflect the absolute horror and tragedy that occurred and unfolded that night, the fire, the unprecedented winds and destruction, the lack of fire resources and the lives saved. But most importantly, the lives lost.”

Finally, Luna and Marrone said county residents need to commit to being prepared for emergencies, alert when they’re happening and responsive to evacuation orders.

“We need to better prepare people to recognize that you’ve got to be prepared all the time," Barger said. "And if there is a fire and it’s in your area, be prepared to evacuate.”

Go deeper

• The county has links to the full report and other documents on its website.
• From LAist: Cellphone emergency alerts aren't foolproof. Could blaring sirens help during the next big fire?
• From LAist: Despite three 911 calls, two homebound disabled men died in the Eaton Fire waiting for rescue
• From LAist: Six months after January’s fires, recovery is just beginning for many

This story first appeared on The LA Local.

Since 1977, Richard Santillan has been to every Opening Day game at Dodger Stadium. 

“The tradition goes from my father, to me, to my children and grandchildren. Some of my best memories are with my father and children here at Dodger Stadium,” Santillan told The LA Local, smiling under the shade of palm trees near the entrance to the ballpark Wednesday morning. He was there to protest the team less than 24 hours before Opening Day.

Santillan, like countless other loyal Dodgers fans, is grappling with his fan identity over the team’s decision to accept an invitation to the White House and owner Mark Walter’s ties to ICE detention facilities.

More than 30 people joined Santillan on Wednesday morning for a press conference held near 1000 Vin Scully Drive to convey a message directly to the team. 

“We are demanding the Dodgers stop participating in funding of inhumane treatment of families and do not go to the White House to celebrate with the criminal in chief,” Evelyn Escatiola told the crowd. “Together, we have the power to make a change.”

Escatiola, a former dean of East Los Angeles College and longtime community organizer, urged fans to flex their economic power by “letting the Dodgers know that we do not support repression.”

Jorge “Coqui” Rodriguez, a lifelong Dodgers fan, spoke to the crowd and called on Dodgers ownership to divest from immigration detention centers owned and operated by GEO Group and CoreCivic.

Jorge Coqui H Rodriguez speaks at a press conference outside Dodger Stadium on March 25, 2026, to demand the Dodgers not to visit the White House following their 2025 World Series win.

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J.W. Hendricks

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The LA Local

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In a phone interview a day before the protest, Rodriguez told The LA Local he did not want the Dodgers using his “cheve” or beer money to fund detention centers. 

“They can’t take our parking money, our cacahuate money, our cheve money, our Dodger Dog money and invest those funds into corporations that are imprisoning people. It’s wrong,” Rodriguez said. 

Rodriguez considers the Dodgers one of the most racially diverse teams and said the players need to support fans at a time when heightened immigration enforcement has become more common across L.A.

The team’s 2025’s visit to the White House drew ire from the largely Latino fan base, citing the Trump administration’s ongoing attacks on immigrants. 

In June, the team came under further scrutiny when rumors swirled online that federal immigration agents were using the stadium’s parking, which immigration authorities later denied in statements posted on social media accounts.

The team again came under fire after not releasing a statement on the impacts of ICE raids on its mostly Latino fan base at the height of immigration enforcement last summer. The team later agreed to invest $1 million to support families affected by immigration enforcement.

When he learned the Dodgers were pledging only $1 million to families in need, Rodriguez called the amount a  “slap in the face.” 

“These guys just bought the Lakers for billions of dollars and they give a million dollars to fight for legal services? That’s a joke,” Rodriguez said. “They need to have a moral backbone and not be investing in those companies.”

According to reporting from the Los Angeles Times, former Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershawsaid last week that he is looking forward to the trip.

“I went when President [Joe] Biden was in office. I’m going to go when President [Donald] Trump is in office,” Kershaw said. “To me, it’s just about getting to go to the White House. You don’t get that opportunity every day, so I’m excited to go.”

The Dodgers have yet to announce when their planned visit will take place. 

Santillan sometimes laments his decision to give up his season tickets in protest of the team. His connection to the stadium and the memories he has made there with family and friends will last a lifetime, he said. On Thursday, he will uphold his tradition and be there for the first pitch of the season, but with a heavy heart.

“It’s a family tradition, but the Dodgers have a lot of work to do,” he said.

A local favorite mom-and-pop bookshop in Eagle Rock is facing displacement due to a steep rent hike. The owners say theirs is just one of several small businesses along Eagle Rock Boulevard struggling to keep up with lease increases.

Over the past 19 years, many in the neighborhood have come to love READ Books for its eclectic collection of used titles and shop dog Florence.

Co-owner Jeremy Kaplan said it’s been a delight to grow with the community over the years.

“Like seeing kids come back in, who were in grade school and now they’re in college,” Kaplan said.

But the building where Kaplan and wife Debbie rent was recently sold, and the rent increased by more than 130% to $2,805 a month, Kaplan said. He told LAist it was an increase his small business simply could not absorb.

Kaplan said he originally was given 30 days notice of the rent increase. After some research, assistance from Councilmember Ysabel Jurado’s office and some pro-bono legal help, Kaplan said he pushed back and got the 90-day notice he’s afforded by state law.

California Senate Bill 1103 requires landlords to give businesses with five or less employees 90 days’ notice for rent increases exceeding 10%, among other protections.

Systems Real Estate, the property management company, did not immediately respond to LAist’s request for comment.

What can small businesses do? 

Nadia Segura, directing attorney of the Small Business Program at pro bono legal aid non-profit Bet Tzedek said California law does not currently allow for rent control for commercial tenancies.

Outside of the protections under SB 1103, Segura said small businesses like READ Books don’t have much other recourse. And even then, commercial landlords are not required to inform their tenants of their protections under the law.

“There’s still a lot of people that don’t know about SB 1103. And then it’s very sad that they tell them they have these rent increases and within a month they have to leave,” Segura said.

She said her group is seeing steep rent hikes like this for commercial tenants across the city.

“We are seeing this even more with the World Cup coming up, the Olympics coming up. And I will say it was very sad to see that also after the wildfires,” Segura said.

Part of Bet Tzedek’s ongoing work is to advocate for small businesses, working with landlords who are increasing rents to see if they are willing to give business owners longer leases that lock in rents.

What’s next 

After READ Books posted about their situation on social media, commenters chimed in to express their outrage and love for the little shop.

While he looks for a new spot, Kaplan says he’s forming a coalition of local businesses and activist groups to see what can be done to help other small businesses facing similar displacement. He wants to address the displacement issue for businesses like his, which have made Eagle Rock the distinctive neighborhood that it is today.

Owl Talk, a longtime Eagle Rock staple selling clothing and accessories in a unit in the same building as READ Books, is facing a “more than double” rent increase, according to a post on their Instagram account.

Kaplan said he’s been in touch with the office of state Assemblywoman Jessica Caloza and wants to explore the possibility of introducing legislation to set up protections for small businesses like his, including rent-control measures or a vacancy tax for landlords. Kaplan said he also reached out to the office of state Sen. Maria Durazo.

By his count, Kaplan said there are about a dozen businesses within surrounding blocks that are at risk of closing their doors or have shuttered due to rent increases or other struggles.

When READ Books was founded during the Great Recession, Kaplan said he knew it was a longshot to open a bookstore at the same time so many were struggling to stay in business.

“It was kind of interesting to be doing something that neighborhoods needed. That was important to me growing up, that was important to my children, that was important to my wife growing up,” Kaplan said.

“And then somebody comes in and says, ‘We’re gonna over double your rent.”

Topline:

Frozen budget: Most of the city’s Bureau of Street Lighting budget comes from an assessment that people who own property illuminated by lights pay on their county property tax bill. The amount people pay depends on the kind of property they own and how much they benefit from lighting. A typical single-family home currently pays $53 annually, and in total, the assessments bring in about $45 million annually for the city to repair and maintain streetlights. Changing the amount the Bureau of Street Lighting gets from the assessment requires a vote among property owners who benefit from the lights.

Ballots: L.A. City Council’s vote gives city staff the green light to prepare and send out those ballots. Miguel Sangalang, who oversees the bureau, said at a committee meeting earlier this month that he expects to send out ballots by April 17. Notices about the ballots will be sent out prior to the ballots themselves.

Near unanimous vote: L.A. City Councilmember Monica Rodriguez was the only “No” vote Tuesday, saying she wanted to see a more current strategic plan for the bureau. Sangalang said the bureau developed a plan in 2022 that lays out how money will be spent. Councilmember Imelda Padilla was absent for the vote.

Vote count: Votes will be weighted according to the assessment amount. Basically, the more you’re asked to pay yearly to maintain streetlights, the more your vote will count. Ballots received before June 2 will be tabulated by the L.A. City Clerk.

How much more money: According to a report, the amount needed in assessments from property owners to meet the repair and maintenance needs of the city’s streetlighting in the next fiscal year is nearly $112 million.

Use of the money: Sangalang said at a March 11 committee meeting that the extra funds would be used to double the number of staff to handle repairs and procure solar streetlights, which don’t face the threat of copper wire theft. That would all potentially reduce the time it takes to repair simple fixes down to a week. Currently, city residents wait for months to see broken streetlights repaired. The assessment would come with a three-year auditing mechanism.