US EditionFalse wildfire alerts in LA blamed on software failure; federal oversight suggested in new report
- On January 9, 2023, Los Angeles County mistakenly sent an emergency evacuation alert to nearly 10 million residents during the Kenneth Fire in Woodland Hills.
- The false alert occurred because Genasys Inc.'s software failed to upload an accurate evacuation area polygon to the federal alert system, causing a broad warning instead of targeted neighborhoods.
- County officials acted promptly by canceling the initial alert within minutes and issuing a follow-up message recognizing the error approximately 20 minutes later; however, the alerts generated widespread confusion due to unclear language and being repeatedly sent well beyond the intended evacuation area.
- Rep. Robert Garcia called the incident a "wake-up call" revealing software failures, unclear messages, and lack of federal standards, urging Congress and agencies to act now for modernization and oversight.
- The report recommends increased federal funding, clearer geographic details in alerts, standardized software, enhanced training, and stronger oversight of private alert providers to prevent future errors.
14 Articles
14 Articles
The Northern Virginia Daily
LA County wildfire alert mistakenly sent to millions due to tech glitch
A congressional report says a technological glitch caused an emergency alert to be mistakenly sent to millions of Los Angeles County residents in January rather than only those in the proximity of a wildfire. The report issued Monday by Democratic…
Denver Gazette
The Brunswick NewsInvestigation into false evacuation alerts sent during LA fires places blame, calls for more regulation
LOS ANGELES — After conducting an investigation into Los Angeles County’s faulty emergency alerts during the deadly January wildfires, U.S. Congressman Robert Garcia issued a report Monday calling for more federal oversight of the nation’s patchwork, privatized emergency alert system.
Long Beach Rep. Garcia Claims Erroneous Fire Evacuation Alerts Show Need for More Funding, Oversight
Evacuation warning messages that were erroneously sent to cell phones across the Southland when a wildfire erupted in Woodland Hills in January, sparking widespread confusion among residents, was caused by a software failure that has since been corrected, but additional funding and oversight of wireless alert systems is needed to prevent future errors, according to a report released Monday. The report prepared at the behest of more than a dozen …
Report released on erroneous LA wildfire evacuation alerts. Here are key findings
Key findings on the causes of an erroneous wildfire evacuation alert that was accidentally sent to millions of Los Angeles County residents during January’s fires and windstorm were part of a Congressional report released Monday. The alerts intended for residents affected by the Kenneth Fire in the San Fernando Valley community of West Hills were sent to nearly 10 million county residents, sparking concern and confusion. Rep. Robert Garcia, one …
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