"My office will be investigating whether there was race, age, or disability discrimination in the emergency response in west Altadena,"
"Specifically, we'll be looking at whether the systems and structures at play contributed to a delay in the county's evacuation notice and possible disparities in emergency response."
California Attorney General Rob Bonta opened a civil rights investigation into fire preparations and emergency response during the Eaton fire, focusing on potential race, age, and disability discrimination affecting west Altadena. Investigators will examine whether systems and structures caused delays in the county's evacuation notice and produced disparities in emergency response. West Altadena, a historically Black community, received late evacuation alerts and fewer firefighting resources compared with wealthier eastern Altadena, and sustained widespread damage and most of the 19 deaths. Displaced residents demanded answers about failed alerts and disparate resources. The investigation raises prospects for accountability and equity in climate-related emergency services.
Read at Los Angeles Times
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