By MES Dispatch staff
The Briefing
- Los Angeles County — One year after the Palisades and Eaton wildfires, after-action reviews cite staffing, coordination, alerting and water-supply failures that complicated evacuations and initial attack. FireRescue1
- Key fixes underway: LAFD says during red-flag periods all staff will be immediately recalled and all available apparatus will be staffed; LAPD and LAFD urged to train in true Unified Command. FireRescue1
- Alerting gap: Evacuation warnings in west Altadena were hours late; Los Angeles County launched an independent probe and is updating OEM/LASD staffing and policies. FireRescue1
- Air & water constraints: High winds grounded aircraft the first night; LADWP ran short on supply/pressure near Malibu, deploying tanker support as the state sent 140 more. A state review of water failures followed. FireRescue1
- Special risks: Two senior facilities mishandled evacuations; SCE faces suits over alleged ignition and opened a wildfire compensation program while planning undergrounding in burn-scar areas. FireRescue1
LOS ANGELES — Twelve months after the Palisades blaze tore through Malibu’s coast and the Eaton fire burned into Altadena’s foothills, agencies are publishing hard-look assessments that trace life-safety problems back to staffing shortfalls, fragmented command, late alerts and stressed water systems—and they’re pledging concrete fixes before the next red-flag day. FireRescue1
What went wrong
After-action reports show the Los Angeles Fire Department did not hold over prior shifts as the Palisades fire ignited—an economy move the department now disavows. Going forward, during extreme fire weather “all staff will be immediately recalled and all available apparatus staffed,” the report states. FireRescue1
The Los Angeles Police Department documented coordination and communications gaps with LAFD: delayed officer arrival, limited PPE for door-to-door evacuations, radio confusion during a frequency switch, and a tactical alert delayed by wind and poor reception. Recommendations include routine joint training and a true Unified Commandstructure for fast-moving wildfires inside the city. FireRescue1
Emergency alerting faltered in both fires—notably in west Altadena, where warnings went out about three hours lateas homes were already burning. A county-commissioned review flagged understaffed OEM and LASD roles and outdated, unclear evacuation policies. The county has begun updating protocols and launched an independent investigation specific to the Eaton timeline. FireRescue1
In the air, severe winds forced LAFD to ground aircraft the first night; aviation resumed at daybreak. On the ground, LADWP’s system couldn’t keep up near Malibu—running out of water overnight while a nearby reservoir sat offline for repairs—prompting a state review and surge support from ~160 mobile tankers (LADWP and state combined). Officials caution that retrofitting foothill systems for wildfire demand will be costly and complex. FireRescue1
Vulnerable populations & utilities
Two senior living facilities in Altadena/Pasadena failed to execute evacuation plans, with residents left behind and later rescued by deputies and firefighters. Operator changes and rebuild plans are underway, including a facility slated to reopen in 2027 after total loss. FireRescue1
Though ignition causes remain officially undetermined, residents have sued Southern California Edison over the Eaton fire; SCE stood up a Wildfire Recovery Compensation Program and sketched a plan to underground 153 circuit miles, largely in burn-scar corridors. FireRescue1
What’s changing before next season
- Staffing posture: Red-flag staffing will surge automatically (immediate recall/fully staffed apparatus), with added pre-positioned strike teams in the valley and foothills. FireRescue1
- Unified operations: LAPD–LAFD to expand joint exercises, align evacuation and traffic plans, and stabilize interoperable comms. FireRescue1
- Public warnings: County is revising alert authorities, staffing and scripts, aiming to front-load evacuation warnings for at-risk neighborhoods. FireRescue1
- Detection/overhaul: LAFD will monitor burn scars with thermal-imaging drones after smoldering from the smaller Lachman fire re-ignited into the Palisades incident. FireRescue1
- Supply planning: LADWP and the state are evaluating mobile water, system pressure zones and reservoir availability during wildfires. FireRescue1
Bottom line: The reviews trade blame for blueprints. The next Santa Ana event will test whether staffing recalls, unified command, faster alerts and contingency water can keep pace with wind-driven fire in the WUI stretching from Malibu to Altadena. FireRescue1