--- description: Officials told millions of residents to disregard an evacuation warning they were mistakenly sent due to a “technical error.” title: Amid LA Fires, Erroneous County-Wide Evacuation Alert Fuels Anxiety, Frustration image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt1c73090a446e4c08/6998b26547fe510952559723/evacuation-los-angeles.jpg?branch=production&width=2400&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [U.S.](/section/us/) ## U.S. Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [California](/tag/california/) ## California Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # ‘False Alarm’ County-Wide Evacuation Alert Sparks Panic and Frustration Amid LA Fires  by [Chad de Guzman](/author/chad-de-guzman/)  ## Chad de Guzman Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Reporter Jan 10, 2025 6:00 AM CUT  People carry their possessions through a neighborhood near the Eaton fire in Altadena, Calif., on Jan. 8, 2025. People carry their possessions through a neighborhood near the Eaton fire in Altadena, Calif., on Jan. 8, 2025.David McNew—Getty Images  by [Chad de Guzman](/author/chad-de-guzman/)  ## Chad de Guzman Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Reporter Jan 10, 2025 6:00 AM CUT Nearly 180,000 people have already been sent mandatory evacuation orders amid the [destructive wildfires](https://time.com/7205547/los-angeles-wildfires-how-to-help-victims/ "undefined") raging across Los Angeles, causing [traffic jams](https://www.wwlp.com/video/evacuation-traffic-jams-clog-hollywood-streets/10355912/ "undefined") as people attempt to flee. But many more residents across the 9.6-million-population county were mistakenly sent an evacuation warning Thursday evening, potentially inciting unnecessary panic and stirring further [criticism of state and local officials](https://time.com/7205815/karen-bass-los-angeles-wildfires-mayor-controversy/ "undefined"). “This is an emergency message from the Los Angeles County Fire Department,” a county-wide alert read just before 4 p.m. local time. “An EVACUATION WARNING has been issued in your area. Remain vigilant of any threats and be ready to evacuate. Gather loved ones, pets, and supplies. Continue to monitor local weather, news, and the webpage [alertla.org](http://alertla.org "undefined") for more information.” But according to screenshots shared online, a follow-up notification instructed people to “disregard” the previous message. > [](https://twitter.com/PJSActor/status/1877511902810558667) > [](https://twitter.com/ScannerPacific/status/1877505532207980863) Los Angeles County clarified in a [social media post](https://x.com/CountyofLA/status/1877511010740842650 "undefined") at 4:21 p.m. that the initial alert was only meant for residents of Calabasas and Agoura Hills situated near the [Kenneth fire](https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2025/1/9/kenneth-fire "undefined") in Woodland Hills. [CBS News](https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/emergency-evacuation-alert-sent-to-residents-across-la-county/ "undefined") quoted a local official who said the false evacuation alert was due to a “technical error.” [](https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-01-09/emergency-alert-text-message-los-angeles-fire "undefined")Kevin McGowan, director of the County of Los Angeles Office of Emergency Management, told reporters, per the [_Los Angeles Times_](https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-01-09/emergency-alert-text-message-los-angeles-fire "undefined"): “Upon realization of this malfunction, the Office of Emergency Management and the county’s Emergency Operations Center took immediate action to issue a cancellation and then also issue a second wireless emergency alert to correct the misinformation from the malfunction.” In a [public statement](https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/CALACOUNTY/bulletins/3cba593?reqfrom=share "undefined"), McGowan added: “We understand that these wildfires have created great anxiety, hardship and distress among our residents, and we are committed to sharing accurate information. For updates on wildfires currently burning in LA County, including evacuation information, please visit [lacounty.gov/emergency](http://lacounty.gov/emergency "undefined").” Some social media users claimed to have received a second evacuation warning just after 5 p.m., immediately followed by another disregard notice. > [](https://twitter.com/houmanhemmati/status/1877522278520668655) To many on social media, the mistaken evacuation alerts fueled further anxiety about the fires that have already taken several lives and scorched tens of thousands of acres, including many homes. “Great, now Los Angeles is sending accidental “false alarm” evacuation notices to millions of people,” one user on X [said](https://x.com/lindseybartlett/status/1877509879142695386 "undefined"). “Scared the sh-t out of me.” Another X user [posted](https://x.com/tahrajirari/status/1877507486019657747 "undefined"), “This is such a big mistake, the mass hysteria this will ensue will make the roads extremely dangerous.” “We know you’re busy @LAFD,” wrote another [user](https://x.com/stephsvox/status/1877508325253722497 "undefined"), “but alerting the entire city to evacuate now is a bit stressful! Many of us are surrounded by fires and know it could happen any minute. Please don’t give us another heart attack unnecessarily!” **Read More:** [_How Authorities Define Fire ‘Containment’ and ‘Control’_](https://time.com/7205985/wildfires-los-angeles-percent-contained-controlled-definitions/ "undefined") Others expressed frustration at government officials, who have already come under [criticism](https://www.reuters.com/world/us/la-mayor-california-governor-criticized-over-fires-political-clash-ensues-2025-01-10/ "undefined") for their supposed unpreparedness and incompetence. “As if our ‘leaders’ have not failed us enough already with these wildfires, now a ‘technical glitch’ sent out an evacuation warning to essentially everyone in #LosAngeles County ‘by mistake’ probably creating an unnecessary panic for everyone in #LA,” an X user [said](https://x.com/timfrasier/status/1877511320347508792 "undefined"). “This administration is embarrassing,” said [another](https://x.com/tiffromthe6/status/1877507206603473211 "undefined"). “LA County is sending out false emergency evacuation alerts on the cell system,” another X user [said](https://x.com/cantbewong/status/1877512588805722156 "undefined"). “This is being so badly managed that \[in my opinion\] prison may be more appropriate than just firing those responsible.” Still, experts say it is better to be prepared to potentially receive an evacuation order if you live anywhere near the fires than to be caught off guard when one may be issued. According to the [_Los Angeles Times_](https://x.com/latimes/status/1877146773581381980 "undefined"), a “go bag” should contain items like drinking water and nonperishable food, a flashlight, first aid supplies, a printed map, and more. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/7205996/evacuation-alert-error-phones-los-angeles-county-fires/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/7205996/evacuation-alert-error-phones-los-angeles-county-fires/"},"headline":"‘False Alarm’ County-Wide Evacuation Alert Sparks Panic and Frustration Amid LA Fires","datePublished":"2025-01-10T06:00:00.000Z","dateModified":"2026-03-10T23:24:17.712Z","description":"Officials told millions of residents to disregard an evacuation warning they were mistakenly sent due to a “technical error.”","url":"https://time.com/7205996/evacuation-alert-error-phones-los-angeles-county-fires/","keywords":["California","overnight","News Desk"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt1c73090a446e4c08/6998b26547fe510952559723/evacuation-los-angeles.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Chad de Guzman","jobTitle":"Reporter","url":"https://time.com/author/chad-de-guzman/"}],"articleSection":"U.S.","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt1c73090a446e4c08/6998b26547fe510952559723/evacuation-los-angeles.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Eaton Fire","caption":"People carry possessions through a neighborhood where a large part of the homes burned in the Eaton Fire in Altadena, Calif. on Jan. 8, 2025.","creditText":"David McNew—Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/us/","name":"U.S."}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/california/","name":"California"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/7205996/evacuation-alert-error-phones-los-angeles-county-fires/","name":"‘False Alarm’ County-Wide Evacuation Alert Sparks Panic and Frustration Amid LA Fires"}}]}] ```