The Los Angeles County Fire Department mistakenly sent out an evacuation warning to all of Los Angeles County Thursday afternoon, Jan. 9.
Just before 4 p.m., people across the county received cell phone alerts ordering them to evacuate, even in areas unaffected by the ongoing fires.
“It was an error,” LACFD spokesperson Kaitlyn Aldana said.
The alert caused many residents, already tense from the ongoing fires raging across the county, to fear their homes were now in danger, too.
Around 4:15 p.m., another alert was sent out by the the Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management asking residents to disregard the previous alert, as it was only intended for the Kenneth fire, which erupted near West Hills bordering Los Angeles and Ventura counties earlier in the afternoon.