Despite three 911 calls, how did two men with disabilities die in their home during the Eaton Fire?
Imperfect Paradise
LAist Studios
4.5 • 535 Ratings
🗓️ 6 August 2025
⏱️ 34 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
West Altadena residents Anthony Mitchell Sr. and his son Justin Mitchell were stuck at home when the Eaton Fire erupted Jan. 7. Both had disabilities, and to evacuate, they needed help. Mitchell Sr. and family members called 911 multiple times as the fire spread. But first responders didn't make it in time to evacuate the father and son. Seven months after the devastating Eaton and Palisades fires, guest host Jill Replogle looks back with LAist climate and environment reporter Erin Stone. They discuss the timeline of the 911 calls and how emergency planning continues to leave people with disabilities behind in Los Angeles.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Support for LAIST comes from CarPros Kia, featuring the 2027 Kia Telluride Hybrid with a striking new design and family-friendly seating for up to eight. |
| 0:09.5 | You can learn more at CarPros Kia in Glendale, Huntington Beach, and Moreno Valley. |
| 0:15.1 | LAISD is supported by Elephant Energy. |
| 0:17.7 | Elephant Energy is LA's expert in installing modern and efficient heating and cooling |
| 0:22.0 | systems, the new standard for whisper quiet comfort year-round. They handle the design and the |
| 0:27.6 | rebates to save you thousands. Claim your rebates at elephantenergy.com. Hey everyone, this is in |
| 0:33.4 | Perfect Paradise. I'm Antonio Seredi Hido. I've mentioned this now a couple of times on past episodes, |
| 0:39.1 | but I'm going to say it again, things are going to sound a little different on Imperfect Paradise. |
| 0:44.3 | Moving forward, you will continue to get a new amazing episode every week of Imperfect Paradise in your feed. |
| 0:50.0 | But each episode is going to focus specifically on a deep dive interview with one of our |
| 0:54.9 | newsrooms reporters. |
| 0:56.6 | You may hear me occasionally host Imperfect Paradise, along with a few of my colleagues, |
| 1:01.4 | through this summer and fall. |
| 1:03.1 | I have absolutely loved hosting Imperfect Paradise for these past nearly two years. |
| 1:08.8 | This show has accomplished so much in that time. We were nominated for a Livingston Award for our series nearly two years. This show has accomplished so much in that time we were nominated |
| 1:12.3 | for a Livingston Award for our series about disgraced LA City Council President Nure Martinez. |
| 1:18.0 | Our series People v. Karen about a white woman who accused a Mexican couple of trying to kidnap |
| 1:22.8 | her child was up for an Amby Award. And most recently, our series Lions, Coyotes, and Bears, as well as District |
| 1:28.9 | Attorney Gascon, won LA Press Awards. Not to mention that a couple years ago, we were named |
| 1:33.7 | one of the best podcasts by the Atlantic. I want to take a moment to specifically thank and recognize |
| 1:39.8 | Emily Garon and Natalie Chednovsky, who have been the creative forces bringing the show together for the past couple of years, and like me, are also moving off the show. I'm so grateful |
| 1:50.5 | to everyone who's worked on the show so far, as well as everyone who has listened. I'm really |
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