As the Eaton fire spread, many areas were notified of evacuation warnings and orders well in advance. In the heart of Altadena, where all 17 reported deaths occurred, evacuation orders came hours after fire did.

The investigation is critical for not only understanding what happened, but for ensuring it never happens again, said an attorney for 300 Altadena residents.

All of the 17 deaths confirmed in the Eaton Fire occurred in an area where an evacuation order was delayed for hours after the blaze erupted, according to a Los Angeles Times report.

Altadena emergency notification zones east of N Lake ave were first issued an evacuation order at 7:26 p.m. on Jan. 7, around an hour after the Eaton fire began. The first evacuation order for western Altadena did not come until 3:25 a.