Toxic L.A. port fire burned for hours before emergency alerts were sent

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It took nearly six hours after a massive hazardous materials fire ignited at the Port of L.A. for an order to be issued telling residents to shelter in place due to air quality concerns.

Some emergency alerts were erroneously sent to Rancho Palos Verdes residents, underscoring continued challenges with regional alert systems.

The Los Angeles Fire Department waited nearly six hours after responding to a massive hazardous materials fire at the Port of L.A. on Friday to order residents to “get inside IMMEDIATELY and close all windows and doors” due to potential toxic smoke.

The department’s shelter-in-place order for areas of San Pedro and Wilmington was then lifted at 6:30 a.m.