Overview

In January 2025, multiple fast-moving wildfires affected Los Angeles County, triggering large-scale evacuation activity across a wide geographic area and creating widespread disruption for residents, service providers, and public safety systems. These conditions placed older adults at heightened risk due to higher rates of mobility limitations, chronic disease, sensory impairments, reliance on medications and durable medical equipment, and increased vulnerability to smoke exposure and psychological distress. Long-term care communities, affordable senior housing providers, home health agencies, and older adults aging in place faced complex operational and human challenges across the full incident lifecycle - from early preparedness and evacuation decision-making through displacement, continuity of care, repopulation, and long-term recovery.

LeadingAge California conducted this gap analysis to assess emergency management challenges and effective practices observed during the January 2025 Los Angeles-area wildfires, with a specific focus on older adults and the continuum of care.