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Accidental emergency alert blamed on computer error
Fire officials in Los Angeles County accidentally sent an emergency evacuation warning to all of LA County, that was intended for residents near the Kenneth Fire. Officials says the mishap was a computer error.
An emergency alert about an evacuation warning was sent out to cell phones across most of Los Angeles County Thursday afternoon, but county officials confirmed that the alert was issued in error.
"I have been informed the evacuation warning that many of us just received on our phones was mistakenly issued countywide due to a technical error," County Supervisor Janice Hahn wrote on X. "A correction will be issued shortly."
Hahn issued a follow up statement, explaining that the alert was only supposed to go to residents impacted by the Kenneth Fire in West Hills.
Santa Monica city officials also issued a statement saying there is no change to evacuation orders and warnings in that city, despite the alert.
The county sent a follow-up alert approximately 22 minutes later, writing, "Disregard last EVACUATION WARNING. It was for the Kenneth Fire only."