Overview

• McChrystal Group’s after-action report found no single point of failure but a series of weaknesses in alerting and evacuations, including outdated policies, inconsistent practices and communications gaps.
• Critical constraints included an under-resourced Office of Emergency Management, hundreds of sheriff’s vacancies, unreliable cellular connectivity and unconnected platforms that hindered real-time coordination.
• Operational issues slowed alerts to 20–30 minutes, many systems required residents to opt in, and only four staffers were trained on newly expanded Genasys software when the fires erupted.
• Delayed and uneven notices reached Altadena’s west-of-Lake Avenue neighborhoods and parts of the Palisades after homes were burning, as the two fires killed 31 people and destroyed 16,251 properties.
• The report recommends policy updates, OEM restructuring and staffing increases, standardized training and interoperable communications, with early steps already underway such as FireGuard integration, a Sheriff’s evacuation-tracking tool and expanded zone-based warnings.