With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today during our fall member drive.
Fire season is here. Make sure you’re signed up for these alerts
People evacuate the Palisades fire on Jan. 7. Authorities stress that Angelenos need to monitor updates during emergencies and follow orders when they're given.
(
Robyn Beck
/
AFP via Getty Images
)
Quite often during wildfires in California, government agencies struggle to communicate with the public, as was the case during the Woolsey Fire in 2018 and the Eaton and Palisades fires this year.
Some of those issues can be attributed to the general chaos of a major emergency — that's in addition to out-of-date technology and infrastructure, as well as conflicting procedures and inadequate training.
But there are things you can do to give yourself the best chance of receiving urgent messages, such as evacuation orders, during a disaster.
One of the most important is sign up for emergency text messaging services in your city or county. That’s one of the main ways emergency responders communicate with large numbers of people.
Support for LAist comes from
There’s Alert L.A. County, for example. But just 1.6 million people here are signed up — out of about 7.8 million adults. If as an Angeleno you do nothing else to prepare today, sign up for Alert L.A. County.
You should also be aware of the X (formerly Twitter) accounts of your local agencies, as that’s often where they post updates. Fire departments usually will have the latest on a fire’s acreage and behavior, while police will have updates on evacuations.
Of course, whenever there’s a wildfire, check in with LAist for up-to-date news and information as well.
Below is a list of websites and apps you should monitor during fires and fire weather.
Los Angeles County
- L.A. County alerts (sign up)
- Live L.A. County emergency map (evacuations)
X accounts
- Official L.A. County account
- L.A. County Public Works
- L.A. County Fire Department
- L.A. County Sheriff's Department
- Caltrans District 7
- National Weather Service (Los Angeles)
Los Angeles city
- Notify L.A. (city of L.A. alerts; sign up)
- Los Angeles Fire Department incidents
X accounts
- Official city of Los Angeles account
- Mayor of Los Angeles
- Los Angeles Fire Department
- Los Angeles Police Department
- National Weather Service (Los Angeles)
Orange County
X accounts
- Official Orange County account
- Orange County Fire Authority
- Orange County Sheriff
- Caltrans District 12
- National Weather Service (San Diego)
Ventura County
- Ventura County alerts (sign up)
- Live Ventura County emergency map (evacuations)
X accounts
- Ventura County Sheriff's Office of Emergency Services
- Ventura County Fire
- Public information for Ventura County Fire
- Ventura County air quality
- California Highway Patrol for Ventura (road closures)
- Caltrans District 7
- National Weather Service (Los Angeles)
Santa Barbara County
X accounts
- Official Santa Barbara County account
- Santa Barbara Fire Department
- Caltrans District 5
- National Weather Service (Los Angeles)
San Bernardino County
- San Bernardino County emergency alerts (sign up)
- Live San Bernardino County emergency map
- San Bernardino County Ready App
X accounts
- Cal Fire San Bernardino
- San Bernardino County Fire Department
- Caltrans District 8
- National Weather Service (San Diego)
Riverside County
- Riverside County emergency alerts (sign up)
- Live Riverside County emergency map
- Active fires in Riverside
X accounts
State- and region-wide emergency resources
- Cal Fire incident page
- Wireless Emergency Alerts (national system)
- Live Caltrans map of incidents
- Live wildfire cameras
- Live air quality readings
- Earthquake early warning system
X accounts
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
Restaurants share resources in the food hall in West Adams as Los Angeles reckons with increasing restaurant closures. -
It will be the second national day of protest against President Donald Trump. -
The university says the compact, as the Trump administration called it, could undermine free inquiry and academic excellence. -
This is the one time you can do this legally! -
Metro officials said it will be able to announce an opening date “soon.” -
While working for the county, the DA’s office alleges that 13 employees fraudulently filed for unemployment, claiming to earn less than $600 a week.
Best of LAist