The California Department of Justice has launched a civil rights investigation into whether Los Angeles County discriminated against the predominantly Black community of west Altadena during last year's Eaton fire. Attorney General Rob Bonta announced the inquiry on Thursday, citing disparities in evacuation alerts and firefighting resources.
According to the Los Angeles Times, residents of the wealthier, whiter eastern side of Altadena received evacuation alerts within an hour of the fire starting, while those in west Altadena were alerted eight hours later. By the time flames engulfed west Altadena around 3am, only one fire truck had been deployed there, compared to dozens on the east side.
The investigation will assess whether the response violated state anti-discrimination and disability rights laws by causing a 'disparate impact' based on race, age, or disability. 'There was, indisputably, a delayed emergency notification and evacuation of west Altadena,' Bonta said. 'We're here to ask why.'
All but one of the 19 fatalities from the 14,000-acre fire were residents of west Altadena, and nearly 60% of Black-owned homes were damaged. Los Angeles County officials said they would 'fully cooperate' with the investigation, adding that responders 'did the best they could under unprecedented conditions.'
Advocacy group Altadena for Accountability praised the probe as 'a trailblazing move for civil rights and environmental justice.' Fire survivor Sylvie Andrews noted that only the attorney general has the authority to examine whether civil rights were violated.
