LA County Officials Clarify After Notification Went Out

What happens when government incompetence meets a crisis already spiraling out of control? You get the perfect storm that unfolded in Los Angeles County, where residents battling historic wildfires were sent into panic after a countywide evacuation alert was mistakenly issued.

That’s right—an alert meant for the Kenneth Fire in Woodland Hills ended up on the phones of millions, telling them to “gather loved ones, pets, and supplies” and get out. Minutes later, officials issued a correction, but the damage was done.

The chaos lit up social media like, well, a wildfire. Residents recounted the fear and confusion sparked by the errant message. Thomas Jenkins, an LA resident, said he started packing his things before realizing the alert was false.

“It was irresponsible, annoying, and caused panic for nothing,” Jenkins fumed. Another resident described their upstairs neighbor fleeing in a frenzy, while others lambasted local leaders for the debacle.

And let’s not forget Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, who conveniently happened to be out of the country when the wildfires began wreaking havoc. While LA burned, Bass was in Ghana celebrating the inauguration of their president.

Her return brought little comfort—she’s been slammed for slashing the firefighting budget and for her detached, scripted remarks during a press conference. Advising displaced families to “go to URL” isn’t exactly the empathetic leadership people were hoping for.

Then there’s Governor Gavin Newsom, whose critics have called for his resignation over what they see as a pattern of negligence during emergencies. Between the botched alert and an ongoing wildfire response that feels more like damage control, trust in leadership is eroding fast.

The false alert might seem like a technical glitch, but it’s symbolic of a deeper issue: the government’s failure to respond decisively and effectively to the crisis. Residents already grappling with the loss of homes, lives, and livelihoods now have to contend with avoidable chaos. The misstep has even prompted concerns about whether future evacuation warnings will be trusted.

The wildfires have already devastated nearly 30,000 acres, with the death toll at seven and expected to climb.