Outdated policies, gaps in communication, and staff shortages hampered the emergency response to a pair of deadly wildfires that devastated parts of Los Angeles County earlier this year, a report released by county officials found.

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors published the findings on Sept. 25. The 133-page report, conducted independently by the consulting firm McChrystal Group, focused on public alerts, warnings, and evacuation efforts related to the Palisades and Eaton wildfires.

The report outlined a "series of weaknesses" that impeded the county’s ability to properly warn residents of the fast-moving blazes.

Those weaknesses included outdated and inconsistent standard operating procedures that "slowed coordination efforts," the report said. Investigators also spoke with law enforcement and emergency managers who reported "inconsistent training around wildfire evacuations."

The report said that shortages of personnel and equipment "were magnified under the extreme conditions of this incident." The staffing shortages included more than 900 vacancies at the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department, an agency tasked with managing fires and maintaining essential public safety services countywide, the report added.

The Palisades and Eaton wildfires erupted on Jan. 7 and spread by record winds that carried the flames to working-class neighborhoods and luxury, cliffside mansions.

The blazes torched nearly 60 square miles of land, an area about the size of Miami, and have been tied to at least 31 deaths, though a study suggests the death toll could be much higher.

A report released in late July said the wildfires are among the costliest in U.S. history, racking up a combined $65 billion in losses. The cause of the fires is still under investigation.

This is a developing story. Follow @USATODAY for additional updates.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Outdated policies and lack of resources delayed response to LA-area wildfires, report says

Reporting by Christopher Cann, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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