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Every smartphone in LA accidentally received a wildfire evacuation alert
As wildfires rage for the third consecutive day through parts of Los Angeles, several neighborhoods have been forced to evacuate for safety purposes. However, in a bizarre and unprecedented move, a wildfire evacuation alert was mistakenly sent to every resident in Los Angeles County, with over 9 million people affected.
According to reports, an evacuation order for residents near the Kenneth Fire currently burning in West Hills was mistakenly issued countywide, intended only for residents of Calabasas and Agoura Hills. The error was confirmed by LA County supervisor Janice Hahn on Twitter, who assured users that a correction would be sent shortly.
Multiple Los Angeles residents took to social media to report receiving the push notification right around 4pm PT, despite being in areas far from any active fire. Even a Fox LA broadcast was interrupted by the emergency alert, confusing the meteorologist on air.
The smartphone push notifications were issued countywide due to a technical error, according to LA county supervisor Janice Hahn. The feature allows government officials to send emergency alerts to users based on their location, which is particularly important for California residents when wildfires are occurring. However, errors like this can unnecessarily cause panic in an already stressful situation.
The incident highlights the importance of accuracy and transparency in emergency alert systems.
Source: techcrunch.com
