Wildfire evacuation alert for all of Los Angeles was sent by mistake

After two days of dealing with wildfires that have burned thousands of acres, residents in Los Angeles County received a wildfire evacuation alert Thursday afternoon that turned out to be a mistake. Shortly after, officials sent out a follow-up alert saying the warning was intended only for people near the Kenneth Fire in Woodland Hills.

Los Angeles County shared a message about X explaining what happened: “An evacuation order for residents near the Kenneth Fire currently burning in West Hills was mistakenly issued Countywide. This alert was only intended for residents of Calabasas and Agoura Hills.”

Citations from CBS News a local official who said the alert, which included a broken URL, was sent “due to a technical error.”

Multiple fires are burning in the LA area, and officials have confirmed at least six deaths, CNN reports. LA County has a population of nearly 10 million people, which is the “largest population of any county in the nation,” according to the county website.