This is an LA Times Studios podcast.

Hi, I'm Faith Pino, and you're listening to Headlines from LA Times Studios.

Here's some of today's top stories from the Los Angeles Times.

Survivors of the Eaton Fire say they were left in the dark as the deadly flames

approached West Altadena in January.

A new LA Times investigation shows why.

Terry Castleman, Rebecca Ellis and Grace Tui dug into the 132-page report released Thursday.

They found that evacuation alerts went out hours late, even as

dozens of residents called 911 to report flames. 19 people died nearly all in West Altadena.

They said the report downplayed the early threats of the fire, and that investigators stopped short of assigning blame.

Instead, they pointed to a night of chaos, unprecedented conditions, and poor communication.

The review also highlighted major coordination problems between the three agencies in charge.

The LA County Sheriff's Department, the LA County Fire Department,

and the County Office of Emergency Management.

The investigation revealed that between 1 and 3 a.m., no evacuation alerts were sent out,

even after at least 14 fire reports came in.

Officials say they were worried about, quote, overwarning

residents, even though state guidance encourages timely alerts. Consultants say evacuation decisions

were poorly documented, leaving a patchwork of incomplete records. The county still has not said

what changes, if any, it will make to its emergency alert system.

Meanwhile, millions of Californians are getting a bonus on their October electric bills.

According to Karen Garcia, utility companies are offering refunds of at least $50, and it's all thanks to the state's climate credit program.

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