Eaton Fire victims plead for answers as LA County reviews after-action report

A group of Eaton Fire victims gathered in Altadena on Tuesday to voice their displeasure over the handling of the deadly blaze, while the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors reviewed a recent after-action report in a meeting.

In a news conference, the Altadena for Accountability group held a news conference where they called on the California Department of Justice to open an investigation into the emergency response of local agencies. In January, the Eaton Fire tore through Altadena and Sierra Madre, leaving at least 19 people dead and destroying more than 9,000 structures.

"There has to be accountability for [approximately] 20 deaths," said Eaton Fire survivor Kara Vellow. "You do not just get to walk away from that."  

The group took issue with the after-action report recently commissioned by L.A. County.

"No government should be allowed to investigate itself after a failure so serious," said Aimery Thomas of the Future Organization.

Conducted by the McChrystal Group, the report analyzed over 150,000 alert and evacuation data records, minute-by-minute GPS tracking of responding units, community, and emergency responder feedback. The county issued 32 evacuation warnings and 19 evacuation orders for the Palisades Fire, and for the Eaton Fire, 58 evacuation warnings and 100 evacuation orders were issued.

The report cites outdated policies and protocols, staffing shortages, resource restraints and an inability to share to-the-minute information. Many, particularly in West Altadena, have reported that they didn't receive evacuation alerts until several hours after the blaze reached their location.

The report found that downed cell towers may have impacted alerts.

The group gathered on Tuesday morning claims the report doesn't go far enough, and demanded accountability for local leaders. At the board meeting, it was noted that some agencies like the Los Angeles, Pasadena and Sierra Madre fire departments, did not participate in interviews with the McChrystal Group.

CBS News Los Angeles reached out to all three of those departments or city governments for comment:

• The LAFD noted that the Eaton Fire primarily occurred within the jurisdiction of the L.A. County Fire Department and Cal Fire.
• Pasadena said it "provided them with the detailed written information" prepared for the city council, and did not participate in an interview because the scope of the review covered the county's response, not the city's.
• Sierra Madre said it prepared its own report and did not intend to comment on the county's report.

Supervisor Kathryn Barger, who represents the residents impacted by the Eaton Fire, pressed LA County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone and Sheriff Robert Luna about the 42-minute delay in issuing evacuation orders for West Altadena.  

"When incident command learned the fire was seen north of Lake and moving west, it validated and acted to issue the orders that were sent out by the [Office of Emergency Management]. And that took time, probably too much time in retrospect," Marrone said.

The wildfire ignited during a powerful storm that brought powerful Santa Ana winds, described by the National Weather Service as "life-threatening and destructive windstorm," that grounded firefighting helicopters. With the Palisades Fire and two more wildfires also raging across LA County, Luna said some deputies worked two to three consecutive shifts. Marrone described the onslaught of fires as "unprecedented."

"We have never seen a fire of this magnitude, in LA County or our department's history," Marrone said. 

Barger also questioned Marrone over the reports that only one LA County fire truck was present in West Altadena as homes burned. 

"The report that there was only one fire truck seen West of Lake does not accurately reflect or capture the complete picture," Marrone said. "We know we had 20 different fire departments that were in Altadena. However, the McChrystal Group was unable to compel those outside agencies to release their ABL data."