Emergency Broadcast Alert Telling Los Angeles Citizens to Evacuate Was Sent ‘In Error’

A mother stands with her 5-year-old son, whose school was evacuated during the Route Fire near Castaic, Calif., on Aug. 31, 2022. Mario Tama/Getty Images

An emergency alert that appeared during TV programming on Wednesday telling Los Angeles residents to evacuate was sent “in error” by the county, according to officials.

Shortly after the vague emergency broadcast system alert confused many Californians, the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that the message was sent by mistake.