Residents were already on edge as more fires erupted across the Los Angeles region, traumatising millions of people who feel that after four days there’s no end in sight.
Then on Thursday afternoon came another jolt in the form of a text alert.
This one was mistakenly sent to every cell phone in the county – home to about 10 million people – warning them the blaze was close and they should prepare to evacuate.
Rebecca Alvarez-Petit was on a video work call when her phone started blaring.
“An EVACUATION WARNING has been issued in your area,” the text message said.
The sound echoed around her as each of her colleagues received the same startling message.
“It was like a massive panic that I was watching in real-time,” she said.
She and colleagues started researching and trying to see whether they were in imminent danger.
Instant relief came in the form of a corrected alert telling them to disregard the warning but this soon gave way to newfound anger, she said.
“We’re all on pins and needles and have been anxiously sitting by our phones, staring at the TV, having the radio going – trying to stay as informed as possible because there wasn’t a good system in place,” said Ms Alvarez-Petit, who lives in West Los Angeles.
“And then this. It’s like – you have got to be kidding me.”
The death toll from the wildfires has continued to climb with at least 10 people known to have died and that toll may grow.For many, the anxiety about saving lives and property has turned into a sense of frustration over the handling of the fires. (BBC)