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Here are the morning’s top stories on Monday, July 21, 2025…
- 30 people died in January’s unprecedented fires in Los Angeles County– most of them older, and many with disabilities. LAist reporter Erin Stone recently obtained 911 calls from two disabled Eaton Fire victims through a public records request. The calls shed light on why, and how emergency planning continues to leave people with disabilities behind.
- The LA County Sheriff’s Department is currently investigating an apartment complex in Santa Monica. It may be connected with an explosion Friday morning at one of the department’s training facilities, which left three deputies dead.
- Siskiyou County has declared a local emergency over the use of dangerous pesticides at illegal cannabis grows.
Despite Three 911 Calls, Two Homebound Disabled Men Died In Eaton Fire Waiting For Rescue
By the time Anthony Mitchell Sr. called 911 for the first time at 6:03 a.m. on Jan. 8, sparks were flying into his west Altadena backyard. “There’s two disabled people in the house,” he told the dispatcher, who then asked for his exact address. The Eaton Fire erupted about 12 hours earlier, and driven by extreme Santa Ana winds, it was burning a path through neighborhoods of 100-year-old homes and tight-knit, multigenerational communities.
“Sparks are flying in my backyard right now,” Anthony Mitchell Sr. told the dispatcher, his voice calm. “And is the backyard on fire or just sparked?” the dispatcher replied. “It’s sparks right now, but it’s getting close,” he said. “All right. We’ll give them that information. They should be there as soon as possible,” the dispatcher told him. “OK. Thank you, ’cause I’m scared with me and my son being disabled,” Anthony Mitchell Sr. replied. “OK, they’re on their way,” the dispatcher said…