ALTADENA, Calif. (March 11, 2026) –– Nationally renowned civil rights attorney Ben Crump will join veteran civil rights attorney Carl Douglas at a Thursday news conference to announce the filing of a request under the California Public Records Act (PRA) seeking information from Los Angeles County regarding the emergency response to the deadly Eaton Fire in West Altadena. The request is part of an ongoing effort to examine whether residents of the historically Black community received delayed warnings or unequal emergency response during the disaster and to explore potential federal civil rights claims concerning whether race played a role in the County’s actions before and during the emergency.
Public reporting indicates some residents received evacuation alerts hours later than nearby communities as conditions rapidly worsened. Attorneys are examining whether delayed alerts and disparities in emergency response contributed to preventable harm.
The press conference comes as California Attorney General Rob Bonta’s office conducts a civil rights investigation into whether race, age, or disability discrimination may have influenced evacuation warnings or emergency response in West Altadena. The Eaton Fire burned more than 14,000 acres, destroyed over 9,000 structures, and killed at least 19 people.
WHO:
Attorney Ben Crump
Attorney Carl Douglas
Families impacted by the Eaton Fire
WHEN:
Thursday, March 12, 2026
11:30 a.m. PT
WHERE:
Douglas Hicks Law
5120 W Goldleaf Cir.
Los Angeles, CA
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MEDIA CONTACT:
[email protected]
ABOUT BEN CRUMP LAW
Through his work, nationally renowned civil rights and personal injury attorney Ben Crump has spearheaded a legal movement to better protect the rights of marginalized citizens. He has led landscape-changing civil rights cases and represented clients in a wide range of areas including civil rights, personal injury, labor and employment, class actions, and more. Ben Crump Law is dedicated to holding the powerful accountable. For more information, visit bencrump.com.
