Attorneys for Eaton Fire victims question emergency response in West Altadena

Questions surrounding West Altadena response

Attorneys representing the Eaton Fire victims are questioning the emergency response in West Altadena when the wildfires began spreading.

LOS ANGELES - Attorneys Carl Douglas and Ben Crump announced they are tracking the state's civil rights investigation into the Eaton Fire response. Attorney General Rob Bonta announced that the Department of Justice is looking into possible age, race or disability discrimination into how residents on the west side of Altadena got evacuation warnings much later than those on the east side. 

"18 of the 19 victims who died in that fire lived on the west side," explained Crump, with Douglas promising a civil rights lawsuit if the Department of Justice finds discrimination. 

"If the facts show there was no discrimination, so be it, but if the facts show that a decision was made based on the racial composition of the community, then we will seek accountability," Douglas added. 

Local perspective:

Family members of those who died have repeatedly asked the same question.

Rodney Nickerson never made it out of his bed at his Alta Pine Drive home. As for 83-year-old Earline Kelley, by the time her son made it to her Tonia Street home, every house on the street was already gone. 

The other side:

 LA County officials have responded to Bonta's investigation by saying they are cooperating, and don't believe discrimination played a part.

They are also looking at a whistleblower complaint alleging that the person in charge of sending emergency evacuation notices on the night of the fire may have fallen asleep during his shift. 

"How do you fall asleep on only one side of the neighborhood?" asked the grandson of Rodney Nickerson. 

The Independent After Action report pointed to "outdated policies, inconsistent practices, and communication vulnerabilities" as factors which are being corrected, according to LA County officials and the fire department. 

Bonta's investigation is expected to last into the fall, with a possible September 25th date for its release.