Overview

• An independent McChrystal Group audit cites outdated policies, inconsistent procedures and communications gaps that slowed warnings during January’s Eaton and Palisades fires, and it stops short of assigning individual blame.
• Residents in west Altadena received evacuation orders hours after neighboring areas, a delay the review and local reporting say likely worsened outcomes.
• Critical staffing shortfalls — including hundreds of sheriff’s vacancies — an under-resourced emergency management office, and limited training on new alert software hindered the response.
• The alert workflow took 20–30 minutes to issue notifications and many systems require residents to opt in, with power and cellular outages further limiting reach.
• The fires killed 31 people and damaged or destroyed about 16,251 properties, as causes remain under investigation and lawsuits alleging Southern California Edison sparked the Eaton fire head to trial in January 2027.