Tuesday, September 30, 2025

Eaton Fire Survivors Demand Attorney General Probe County Response During Eaton Fire

[Eddie Rivera / Pasadena Now]

Survivors and activists seek independent investigation, citing failures and inequities in official response to the deadly blaze

‘Survivors of the Eaton Fire’ and advocates from the ‘Altadena for Accountability’ coalition announced plans for a press conference to be held Tuesday, September 30 at 8 a.m. at 425 E. Las Flores in Altadena, standing where homes destroyed by the Eaton Fire once stood. The group will call on California Attorney General Rob Bonta to launch a full investigation into Los Angeles County’s response to the fire, which destroyed thousands of homes and claimed 19 lives.

Shawna Dawson Beer, Beautiful Altadena Community Organizer and total loss fire survivor who lived west of Lake Avenue, said, “The report confirms what we already knew—there was no plan.”

Beer is referring to the County’s after action report on the Eaton and Palisades Fire response, released late last week.

The McChrystal report on the Eaton Fire found no single point of failure but identified a series of weaknesses—outdated policies, inconsistent practices, and communication gaps—that hampered the county’s emergency alert and evacuation response during the January 2025 wildfire.

The coalition sharply criticized the McChrystal report for ‘sidestepping’ fundamental issues. Coalition members spotlighted unanswered questions about evacuation notifications, disparities in firefighter deployment in historically Black neighborhoods, and communication breakdowns within the sheriff and fire departments.

Lauren Randolph, Altagether Block Captain and total loss fire survivor who lived west of Lake Avenue, said, “McChrystal Group’s repeated blatant misuse of the term ‘perfect storm’ to describe the Eaton Fire is both dishonest and strategic. The Eaton Fire was only so egregious and deadly because of how all emergency responses were mishandled.”

The group asserts the report offers “a carefully, conveniently worded PR spin, tip-toeing around county missteps, assigning responsibility nowhere in particular, and worse, pointing fingers at fire victims.”

Participants said the report fails to address the tragic impact on Black and Brown communities, especially west of Lake Avenue, and warned that flawed recommendations threaten the safety of ‘millions’ in future disasters.

Altadena for Accountability is urging the attorney general to compel testimony, examine withheld records, and ensure accountability for public agencies’ failures before, during and after the fire. According to the coalition, only an independent investigation can fully uncover a cascade of failures that left the community at risk.

“While there have been two commissioned reports, they are still insufficient. The attorney general is exclusively tasked with holding agencies accountable to the law—and the existing reports lack the enforcement mechanism to bring about systemic change,” the group noted.

Altadena for Accountability describes itself as a collective of community members, organizers, activists, and advocates from Altadena.

“Our goal is ensuring this level of system failure during an emergency never happens again in LA County,” the group said.