Friday, September 26, 2025

Congresswoman Chu Demands Accountability After Report on Eaton Fire Evacuation Failures

Los Angeles County’s independent review of January’s Eaton and Palisades Fires—released Thursday, Sept. 25—has drawn sharp criticism from Rep. Judy Chu, who called the findings “disturbing” and urged immediate reforms to emergency alert protocols. Chu represents Altadena and Pasadena in Congress.

The report, commissioned by the County Board of Supervisors, examined evacuation procedures and alert systems during the deadly Eaton Fire, which claimed 19 lives in west Altadena. Investigators found that evacuation alerts were delayed for hours despite 911 calls confirming fire activity in the area. Chu asked, “Why critical evacuation orders for west Altadena were delayed for hours, even after 911 calls confirmed fire in the area?”

Chu, who previously called for an independent investigation, said the report “raises more questions than it answers,” particularly regarding the lack of timely warnings for residents who were physically unable to evacuate without assistance. “Without alerts, many residents either went to bed or waited too long to make plans for someone to come help them,” she said.

The report includes recommendations to improve emergency response, including clarifying evacuation authority, enhancing staffing and training at the Office of Emergency Management, and consolidating agency communications into a unified real-time platform. It also calls for automatic, immediate alerts during fast-moving disasters.

Chu pledged to press county leaders for transparency and timelines on implementing reforms. “We need a full accounting of how each of these deaths was allowed to happen,” she said, adding that the report mentions the fatalities only once. She stated her intent to seek more information from County officials on how west Altadena was left without timely warnings, who was responsible for those delays, and how these failures will be addressed.

She also vowed to advocate for federal support, including full funding for FEMA and emergency management grants, wildfire mitigation programs, and modern communications systems. “I will continue pushing for regular public updates and concrete timelines to ensure reforms are implemented before the next disaster strikes,” Chu said.