Glitch sent wildfire alert to Millions in California, congressional report finds

Los Angeles, California – A technical glitch in January mistakenly sent an emergency wildfire alert to millions of Los Angeles County residents rather than only those directly threatened by the flames, according to a new congressional report released Monday.

The alert, issued on January 9, was intended solely for San Fernando Valley residents facing an evacuation warning due to the Kenneth Fire. But instead, it went out countywide — reaching phones across the entire population of roughly 10 million people — and caused widespread confusion just days after deadly wildfires and powerful winds had devastated parts of the region.

The report, issued by Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Long Beach), found that Los Angeles County emergency officials had correctly coded the alert with targeted geographic information. However, the data failed to transmit to the federal Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS), apparently due to a disruption in the network or a failure in the software provided by vendor Genasys.

“The initial false alert is believed to be caused by technology issues with third-party technology vendor Genasys,” the report stated.

Without the intended location coding, the message reached residents far beyond the evacuation zone and lacked explicit geographic references, further heightening anxiety after recent wildfires. The report did not evaluate alert responses related to the Eaton and Palisades fires, which have also drawn criticism over delayed warnings.

In the case of the Eaton Fire in Altadena, evacuation orders reportedly went out only after homes were already ablaze. Meanwhile, Palisades residents told the Associated Press they evacuated independently after seeing flames, well before any official notification arrived.

Los Angeles County officials have since launched their independent review of emergency alert procedures, led by a third-party consultant. The initial phase of that review, which included interviews with nearly three dozen fire and emergency responders, was released last month. A more comprehensive report is expected by July 27.

Garcia’s report recommends that future alerts include more detailed location-based language in the alert text and calls for improved training and standardized software protocols across agencies.

“The lessons from the Kenneth Fire should not only inform reforms,” the report concluded, “but serve as a catalyst to modernize the nation’s alerting infrastructure before the next disaster strikes.”