'Panic': LA Officials Issued Countywide Evacuation Order—by Mistake

Los Angeles County officials mistakenly issued a countywide evacuation order Thursday evening, followed by another erroneous order Friday morning for Beverly Hills, panicking residents already reeling from devastating wildfires.

"An EVACUATION WARNING has been issued in your area," the first text alert reads, urging nearly 10 million county residents to "gather loved ones, pets, and supplies" and evacuate their homes. A second alert later that evening advised residents to "disregard last evacuation warning," clarifying that the message was intended only for those near the Kenneth Fire burning in West Hills.

The county again sent an erroneous alert at 4 a.m. Friday morning, this time to residents of Beverly Hills. The city later confirmed that "this was another error."

The erroneous warnings come as authorities in Los Angeles County and neighboring regions struggle to contain wildfires that have scorched tens of thousands of acres and reduced multiple neighborhoods to rubble. At least 6 people have died, and nearly 180,000 people have been forced to evacuate, with the numbers expected to rise in the coming days.

"We do not understand at the moment what caused that error," said Kevin McGowan, director of the county's Office of Emergency Management, following the first alert. "It wasn't a human error; the correct zones were initiated. So we are working to troubleshoot that."

Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass (D.) and California governor Gavin Newsom (D.) are facing intense criticism over the lack of preparation and the inadequate response to the deadly wildfires, with firefighters reporting that many fire hydrants in the area are out of water. Meteorologists had warned city officials about "critical" weather conditions in the days leading up to the blazes, predicting a "recipe for fire," the Daily Mail reported.

"The fake alert really threw me off," one county resident told the New York Post. "I was on the phone with my family, who was checking on me when it went off on my phone. I immediately jumped up and started packing my things even though I live Downtown."

"I didn't stop until I heard the news anchors saying they mistakenly got the alert, too, and that it was a mistake," the resident said. "It was irresponsible, annoying, and caused panic for nothing."

The post 'Panic': LA Officials Issued Countywide Evacuation Order—by Mistake appeared first on .