Many residents with disabilities can’t flee fires on their own. Could a database help?
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Facing mounting questions over a chaotic evacuation, top L.A. County officials say they want to build a database of residents with disabilities who require help fleeing a neighborhood engulfed in flames.
L.A. County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone told county supervisors at a public meeting Tuesday that the ongoing wildfires underscored the need for a “database to track people who have mobility challenges or health challenges.”
“Trying to do it during an emergency is very, very difficult,” he said.
The assessment comes as the county faces fresh scrutiny over the tumultuous evacuation of Altadena, the site of the majority of fire-related deaths since Jan. 7. At least eight of the 27 fire victims to date were at least 80 years old, and some had disabilities that hampered their efforts to evacuate.
Anthony Mitchell Sr., an amputee in his 60s, for example, died in his Altadena home along with his son Justin, who had cerebral palsy, as they waited to be rescued.
Anthony Mitchell Sr., an amputee who used a wheelchair, and his son Justin, who had cerebral palsy, died due to slow evacuation efforts during the Altadena fire, relatives said Friday.
Mitchell’s other son, Anthony Mitchell Jr., told The Times he wanted to see a better accounting of residents with special needs, saying officials should “put those addresses down as priorities.”
Marrone said first responders had moved roughly 500 people to safety after the fire broke out. Some were unable to leave on their own. Others might have, but waited too long.
“Far too many stories I have heard of people that did not leave during the evacuation order, and our firefighters and our sheriff deputies had to evacuate those people,” Marrone said. “People must protect themselves.”
Supervisor Holly Mitchell warned the region was unprepared for a future in which the county was routinely blackened by wildfire, while the people who called it home were rapidly graying.
“We look at the aging of our society — people wanting to age in their own homes,” Mitchell said. “As a community, we are not prepared.”
Los Angeles County aged faster than all but 3 California counties from 2012 to 2022. We examined where the old and young are living, and what’s causing the trend.
Fesia Davenport, the county’s chief executive officer, said she planned to return to the board with more information on a possible database.
Supervisor Kathryn Barger, who represents Altadena, said she plans to ask for a review of the county’s evacuation policies and emergency alert notifications system. On Tuesday she asked for names of consultants to lead such a review. Her request comes after The Times reported that parts of Altadena didn’t receive evacuation orders until hours after the Eaton fire started.
The plans were part of a flurry of fire-related discussions and motions Tuesday about how the county could bolster recovery efforts. The supervisors also voted to temporarily bar landlords in unincorporated parts of the county from evicting tenants who have evacuees — or their pets — staying with them in violation of their lease and to suspend some restrictions on short term rentals to ramp up available housing.
“This is a time for all Angelenos to come together, step up and do their part to help victims,” said Supervisor Lindsey Horvath.
As the Eaton fire spread, many areas were notified of evacuation warnings and orders well in advance. In the heart of Altadena, where all 17 reported deaths occurred, evacuation orders came hours after fire did.
The board also agreed to send a letter to Gov. Gavin Newsom and President Trump asking for assistance footing the mammoth bill for recovery efforts.
“We are continuing full throttle on the gas pedal to maximize every resource we can get from the state and federal government,” said Kevin McGowan, the head of the county’s Office of Emergency Management.
Supervisor Janice Hahn said, though she wasn’t concerned about support from the state, she was wary of what the county could expect from the new Trump administration.
“I’m concerned about the potential strings that we’ve been hearing might be connected to this disaster assistance,” said Hahn, noting she’d watched talk shows in which politicians blasted the county’s “empty reservoirs and empty hydrants.”
“We’ve heard some pretty pointed words that suggest, if certain things didn’t change, we might not get the money,” Hahn said.
Barger, the sole Republican on the board, countered that she was “looking forward to working with this administration” and planned to prove to the White House that the county was “justified in what we are asking for.”
Former President Biden had pledged to cover all disaster assistance costs for the next half year, but local politicians say it’s not clear if that support would continue under Trump. The president, like other Republicans, has lambasted California’s liberal leaders for their handling of the wildfires. Trump has accused Newsom on Truth Social of hoarding water and Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has hinted that federal relief funding could be cut because of the state’s leadership.
“If Gavin Newsom and local leaders made decisions that made this disaster exponentially worse — which it appears there were — should there be some consequence of that?” Johnson asked reporters last week.
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