Part 1: Understand fire · Chapter 3

Who does what

This chapter uses Los Angeles County as a worked example. Look up the same pieces for your own county.

Evacuation order: leave

Officials issue it when there's an imminent threat to life and property. It's a lawful order to evacuate and remain out of the area, and everyone should leave when one is issued ¹.

Evacuation warning: get set

Officials often issue an Evacuation Warning when a wildfire may soon threaten an area. At this stage everyone should be set to go. People who need more time to evacuate should leave now ¹.

Don't wait for either

In an intense wildfire, danger can arrive before an order is issued. The county says not to wait to be told if you feel you're in danger, and that officials may not have time to knock on every door ¹.

Shelter in place

LA County Fire lists shelter in place alongside the warning and the order as protective actions, and says to follow any of them from law enforcement right away ¹¹.

How you hear about it

• Alert LA County is opt-in. You register to get alerts by text, email or phone call ².
• Wireless Emergency Alerts go straight to cellphones in a targeted area ².
• The Emergency Alert System interrupts radio and television programming ².
• Cities, special districts and employers may run their own notification systems, so look up what's available where you live and work ².

Who's involved

The county's wildfire page says "officials" issue warnings and orders. It doesn't name an agency ¹.

County fire department. The County of Los Angeles Fire Department is responsible for 4 million residents in 60 cities and the unincorporated areas, plus the City of La Habra in Orange County ³. Its dispatchers process 9-1-1 calls and send firefighters, and its aircraft are used for wildland firefighting ³.

Sheriff. The Sheriff's Department tells the public when evacuation orders are in effect and when they're lifted, and its deputies check IDs when people return. It did all three in the 2019 Tick Fire ⁵. Its guidance says evacuation orders are mandatory and you shall leave immediately ⁶. The fire department's dispatchers coordinate with the Sheriff's Department, the Los Angeles Fire Department and the Los Angeles Police Department on emergencies ³.

The law. California law lets the Highway Patrol, police, sheriffs and CAL FIRE peace officers close a disaster area. Staying in a closed area after being told to leave is a misdemeanor ⁷.

CAL FIRE. The state agency is required by law to map areas of significant fire hazard, called Fire Hazard Severity Zones ⁴. Fighting fires is split by land: in State Responsibility Areas the state is primarily responsible, and everywhere else it's local or federal agencies ⁸⁹. CAL FIRE can also contract with a county, city or district to fight fires there ¹⁰.

Sources

1. County of Los Angeles Emergency Management, "Preparing for Wildfires." https://ready.lacounty.gov/fire (read 2026-11-09)

2. County of Los Angeles Emergency Management, "Emergency Notifications." https://ready.lacounty.gov/emergency-notifications/ (read 2026-11-09)

3. County of Los Angeles Fire Department, "Emergency Operations." https://fire.lacounty.gov/emergency-operations/ (read 2026-11-09)

4. County of Los Angeles Fire Department, "Defensible Space Inspection Program." https://fire.lacounty.gov/fire-hazard-reduction-programs/ (read 2026-11-09)

5. Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, "TICK FIRE: Re-population, Mandatory Evacuations and Road Closures." https://lasd.org/tickfire/ (read 2026-11-09)

6. Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, "Evacuation Information Tips." https://lasd.org/evacuation-information-tips/ (read 2026-11-09)

7. California Penal Code section 409.5. https://california.public.law/codes/ca_penal_code_section_409.5 (a mirror of leginfo.legislature.ca.gov, which blocked our reader; read 2026-11-09)

8. California Public Resources Code section 4102. https://california.public.law/codes/ca_pub_res_code_section_4102 (mirror; read 2026-11-09)

9. California Public Resources Code section 4125. https://california.public.law/codes/ca_pub_res_code_section_4125 (mirror; read 2026-11-09)

10. California Public Resources Code section 4142. https://california.public.law/codes/ca_pub_res_code_section_4142 (mirror; read 2026-11-09)

11. County of Los Angeles Fire Department, "Ready! Set! Go! Wildfire Action Plan" (May 2026). https://fire.lacounty.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Ready-Set-Go_5.20.26.pdf (read 2026-11-09)