LA County Update on Erroneous Emergency Alert

The Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management has confirmed that an emergency alert about an evacuation warning sent to all cellphones Countywide just before 4 p.m. today, January 9, was sent in error.

Kevin McGowan, Director of the Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management, released the following statement:

"An evacuation order for residents near the Kenneth Fire currently burning in West Hills was mistakenly issued to nearly 10 million County residents along with some residents of neighboring counties. This warning was intended only for residents of Calabasas and Agoura Hills and those within the West Hills community of Los Angeles. We understand that these wildfires have created great anxiety, hardship and distress among our residents, and we are committed to sharing accurate information. For updates on wildfires currently burning in LA County, including evacuation information, please visit lacounty.gov/emergency."

Correction on Local Alert Status

Following the County's erroneous emergency alert this afternoon, the City of Rancho Palos Verdes issued a statement noting that there are no evacuation warnings or orders in effect on the Palos Verdes Peninsula.

While there are no new warnings or orders in effect, we have corrected that statement to clarify that the evacuation warning that was issued in August 2024 for the Portuguese Bend Community Association neighborhood in Rancho Palos Verdes due to electricity shutoffs related to land movement does remain in effect. This is because the sewer system in the area continues to be powered by generators.

Know Your Zone

In the event of an emergency, such as a wildfire or earthquake, evacuation warnings or orders in the Palos Verdes Peninsula cities will be reflected on the Know Your Zone website PVPready.gov. This website features a map with pre-established evacuation zones across the Peninsula. Please note that the term “evacuation zones” does not refer to evacuation centers. Rather, the zones are a way to identify neighborhoods with unique numbers, so authorities can more easily notify them with real-time information about an emergency in their zone, such as a wildfire or earthquake.

Residents, visitors, businesses, and school communities on the Peninsula are encouraged to go to PVPready.gov to find their evacuation zone, save it in their smartphone, or write it down and keep it somewhere that’s easy to find in an emergency, such as on their refrigerator or near the front door. 

To find your zone, go to PVPready.gov, click “Find Your Zone,” enter an address in the search bar in the upper left corner of the zone map, and a pop-up window will open with the corresponding zone and emergency information. During an emergency, the website and corresponding alerts will show which zones are under evacuation the moment an order is issued by authorities.

Alert SouthBay

In addition to knowing your zone, please sign up for Alert SouthBay emergency alerts by texting "alertsb" to 888-777 or by going to alertsouthbay.com.