FIRE Gavin Newsom!!! #BlackTwitter #altadenafire 

The residents of Altadena were not notified in advance about the Los Angeles fires primarily due to issues with the emergency alert system employed by Los Angeles County. Here are the key reasons based on available information:

1. **Delayed Evacuation Orders**: The most critical factor was the significant delay in issuing evacuation orders to residents in western Altadena. While other areas received warnings and orders well in advance, western Altadena, where all 17 fire-related deaths occurred, only received an evacuation order at 3:25 a.m., many hours after the fire had already started and homes were burning. This delay was largely due to a failure in the timely dissemination of Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA), which are supposed to notify residents of impending dangers like wildfires.[](2. **Inadequate Alert System**: There were also issues with the effectiveness of the alert system itself. Some residents mentioned they never received any electronic alerts at all, relying instead on physical means like loudspeakers or door-to-door warnings, which were insufficient given the rapid spread of the fire. The system's inability to geocode and geofence accurately in this instance led to some areas being missed or alerts being sent to incorrect or overly broad areas.[](3. **Human and Technical Errors**: There's an acknowledgment of both human error and technical glitches in the system. The complexity of managing emergency notifications for fast-moving wildfires, especially under high-wind conditions, can lead to mistakes or software failures. For instance, a separate incident involved sending out multiple erroneous alerts to a large area, illustrating broader system reliability issues.[](Regarding the high number of deaths in Altadena:

- **Late Evacuation**: The late notification meant that many residents were caught unprepared, with fire already dangerously close or even in their neighborhoods by the time they were alerted to evacuate. This was particularly tragic for the elderly and those with mobility issues, who would have had even less time to escape.[](- **Communication Breakdown**: The failure to communicate effectively meant that residents were not aware of the actual severity or proximity of the fire until it was almost too late. This was compounded by the fact that some residents only learned of the need to evacuate through neighbors or personal observation rather than official channels.[](- **Community and Infrastructure**: Altadena has a diverse and historic community with a significant portion of its population being older residents or those with generational ties to the area, potentially less tech-savvy or physically able to respond quickly to emergencies. The destruction of over 1,900 structures also indicates the fire's intensity and the overwhelming challenge residents faced in escaping.[](The aftermath has led to calls for a thorough review and improvement of the emergency notification system in Los Angeles County to prevent such tragedies in future events.
#BlackTwitter #altadenafire