On January 7, firefighters erupted from the hills of Eaton Canyon, and the fire agencies faced a crisis beyond their worst calculation.
Within a few hours, the hurricane-force air like a hell bellos of the three major Los Angeles area of the three large Los Angeles area, and the hazardous air conditions can disrupt the ability of emergency commanders to monitor the chaotic movement of all airplanes. On the streets of Altatena, dense black smoke controlled the selection of several feet in some areas, and the screaming wind raised the burning embarrassment over the head of firefighters.
It is in this difficult environment that a group of emergency officials established a mobile command center to integrate the struggle against the Eaton fire and helps residents harm. During three hours, the center moved twice as the authorities struggled to pursue a fire that was moving faster and faster than anything they had ever seen before.
“Was this messy? Of course, John Miller, a US forest service spokesman and an incident commander, said, “He stretches a response vehicle with a wooden branch.
There is an increasing number of residents and others as to why it took nine hours at a large place of Altadeena to get electronic discharge orders. Within that, many firefighters in the area have been reported, and many residents say they have seen horror because the flames quickly approached their homes. Of the 17 dead, all lived west of North Lake Avenue.
The late announcement is now subject to an independent hearing of Los Angeles County.
The actions and movement of the mobile command center offers a window in the turbulence confronted when fighting the Eaton fire. County resources were already Extended as thin Due to massive policies fire, another fire broke out near Silmer that night.
“This is an event that we haven't really seen,” said Carlos Herrera, a spokesman for the LA County Fire Department.
After 6 pm, when the Eaton fire erupted under the southern California Edison Transmission Tower, the incident commanders quickly established a command post at a nearby horsepower center, but later at 7 pm, it was reviewed according to radio transmissions.
But within an hour, firefighters felt that they had to relocate, moved from the Formsworth park – eventually burning in the fire – Los Angeles County Fire Leader Anthony Maronn and Angels National Forest Fire Leader Robert Garcia needed more space for them. Decided because their incident command includes a federal incident management committee.

A LA County Genesis protects the exhaust zone map of the Altatena area at midnight at the first night of the Eaton fire.
(The Department of Los Angeles Sheriff)
At this early time of the fire, exit alerts were often out. Some Eastern Altadeena Environmental Warnings received their first “vigilante” at 6:48 pm, and others issued discharge orders from 9 pm to 1 pm on January 8, the Exit warnings and orders of the office of the Los Angeles County's office, or orders. OEM, went out several times an hour, often covered with burning areas.
“Most of the time, this is very gentle except for the fact that [that this night] We threw at speeds of 100-miles, ”Herrera said. “The fire initially went away from that west side [of Altadena]; Then it changed the directions. … We tried to progress better than this, but again, this is something we haven't seen. ”
From 2 am to 9 am, the Herrera helped the command staff to monitor and change the discharge alerts when needed.
From the back of a pyrerera, Herrera said that Herrera worked with the other three officers – one from OEM, one focused on communications technology and another district firefighter who operates as an incident commander – to evaluate and evaluate 911 calls to determine where to send resources.
“We get a call, I will check where the call is. I will check whether the area was under the discharge or order,” said Herrera, who used the County's Genesis Prague website. “At that early stage, our priority: we have to get out of here and we have to get out of here.
In Rose Paul, the incident command stopped three SUVs nearby: Miller says the County Fire, Sherif and Om.
The nearest truck was held, which served as the intermediary of radio communications between the command post and firefighters.

The California National Guard players gather after working in the Eaton fire at the Rose Bowl parking lot.
(Allen J. Shapeen / Los Angeles Times)
“Operations get intelligence from different sections,” Miller said. “They are your eyes and ears.” Importantly, the helicopters and planes landed shortly after the fire began due to excessive winds, so the authorities have no image from the wind where the fire is going.
The SUVs opened their rear chicks, revealing the trunks fitted with “command boxes, drawings, lights and radios”. Sheriff's officers maintained the map of the discharged areas covered with clear plexiclas and grease pencil to refer to it.
The group had a formal process to determine whether or not to issue discharge orders.
“There are criteria, and there is a system of what to be completed before you start issuing EVAC orders,” Herrera said, “The authorities want to ensure that the authorities do not unnecessarily make orders, and create additional risks to further resources.
“You don't want to create hysteria,” he said.
Those alerts are eventually sent by OEM, Herrera said, and she helps to make the results. OEM officials said its group, County Firefighters and Sheriff's departments are being coordinated and implemented.
Herrera rejected the notion that the authorities were slow in taking action.
“Not so. Not that, 'Hey, we abandoned the ball and we are late,' ”he said. “The fire spread very fast.”
However, from 12:51 am to 3:25 am, the warning and exhaust system silent, according to a Times review Archived alerts. Alerts or orders for areas west of North Lake Avenue are not significant, which began to burn, according to interviews and fire radio calls.
During this time, Miller remembered hearing a radio exchange about fire on Vabelo Street, and thought of the map: “Oh trick! This is a heart rate. “At the time, he did not realize that the area was not in the order or warning.
At 2:37 am, many houses in the area reported that the area was set on fire: one near the Cobb Estate Trailhead on the northern tip of the lake Avenue, and two several blocks on Wabelo Street in the southwest.
Including these houses – the exit alerts have not been issued to the area west of the lake, and the Angels national forest is not responsible for the discharge regions until the Miller cannot explain the gap until 3:25 AM. Herrera refused to comment on the specific time or location of the orders.

La County Fire Leader Anthony Murron speaks to reporters in Altadeena on January 20.
(Carlin Stehl / Time)
In the absence of official discharge orders, some sheriff's representatives took it to themselves to evacuate the areas that clearly stated by fire, or to evacuate the areas received for service. At 3:30 am, his representatives helped the lake Avenue to get out of the lake.
“The incident management team has allocated tasks and some of them are to expel it,” Williams said. “But you don't have to wait for that; If you find that a part should be evacuated, you have issued notifications. ”
It is not clear whether the incident command is about these evacuations.
Officials with the country's integrated joint information center refused to discuss the exclusives of their actions, but the following report published: “The Supervisor Panel has voted for an independent review, especially the evacuation and emergency notifications conducted by an independent third party. The Emergency Management Office, the County Fire Department and the Sheriff Department are committed to giving priority and fully involved in that process. ”
Many of the family members killed in the Eaton fire, they believe that previous announcements may have made a difference in preventing deaths.
“Lots of lost lives are old or disabled, is unfortunate because they are one of the vulnerable groups that require more help from family or their support system,” Priya Navaro said Elein Kelly, 83He died in the fire.
Elein Kelly, 83, with the center, with her daughter Lisa and son Trever. Kelly died in Eaton fire.
(Priya Navaro)
At 1:22 am, Kelly responded to a speech from her granddaughter, asking how things were going on at her western Altatena home.
“Looks out in the living room,” Kelly wrote. “I'm going to take a picture.”
The photo never came.
“I think with a notice,” Navaro said, “Some of us have given us enough time to help our family members.”
Times Staff Writers Kerry Blackinger, Ruben Vivs and Summer Lynn contributed to the report.