Overview

• County supervisors voted 5–0 to begin implementing recommendations and directed the CEO to report back on converting the Office of Emergency Management into a standalone department, with initial deadlines in 60 days.
• The McChrystal Group’s 132–133 page after‑action report cites outdated policies, inconsistent practices and communications vulnerabilities that hindered alerts and evacuations during January’s fires, which killed 31 people.
• Investigators noted stark disparities in Altadena, with evacuation orders issued east of Lake Avenue at 7:26 p.m. but not west of Lake until 3:25 a.m., where 18 of the 19 Eaton Fire deaths occurred.
• Fire survivors and community groups criticized the report for avoiding accountability and urged Attorney General Rob Bonta to launch an independent investigation into alert delays and evacuation decisions.
• The report excludes the City of Los Angeles response because city agencies declined to participate, and supervisors acknowledged gaps in the findings as additional county and state reviews proceed.