With fires burning across several counties in Southern California, the state's Office of Emergency Services sent out its largest ever text alert to 12 million residents on Wednesday night, warning them of strong winds that could create extreme fire danger.
The alert was a response to criticism received in the wake of wildfires that swept through Northern California in October, killing at least 44. Residents there said they wished they had received an alert that there was a fire in their neighborhood, especially those who were asleep when the fire started. Because weather conditions in Southern California were expected to be similar to conditions in Northern California when those fires started, the state's Office of Emergency Services decided to send out the unprecedented alert to residents across seven counties.
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