Fear of more confusion drove decision not to correct Sunday’s errant evacuation alert

Photo: false-evacuation-alert

Summit County officials say the notification dashboard showed only 107 phones received the GO alert, while reports indicated it reached well beyond the evacuation area.

SUMMIT COUNTY, Utah — The Summit County Sheriff’s Office is clarifying what happened after a Wireless Emergency Alert reached residents outside the intended evacuation area during the Rocky Canyon fire response Sunday, Aug. 9.

As the fire began impacting the Henefer area, portions of Henefer were initially placed in “READY” status, prompting an emergency alert to notify residents of the status and give them time to prepare for a possible evacuation.

Shortly before 3 p.m., the state incident management team reported active and erratic fire behavior. Officials then moved the affected areas from READY to “GO” status and began evacuations. A second Wireless Emergency Alert was issued at approximately 3:15 p.m. to notify residents of the change and advise them to evacuate. The Sheriff’s Office said the alert was issued using the same process as the earlier notification.

Shortly afterward, the Sheriff’s Office began receiving reports that the GO alert had reached mobile phones outside the intended geographic area.

The office said it immediately worked to clarify the correct evacuation area and distribute information through other channels.

The Sheriff’s Office and Summit County Communications & Public Engagement also used mass text messages, email alerts, and other public-information channels to reach Summit County residents.

Officials considered sending another Wireless Emergency Alert to correct the geographic error but ultimately decided against it.

According to the office, officials did not initially have a complete understanding of what had happened or how many people had received the alert. The notification dashboard showed that only 107 phones had received the alert, while reports from the community indicated that it had reached phones well beyond the intended area.

That discrepancy made it difficult for officials to determine the actual scope of the problem and who had received the notification.

The Sheriff’s Office said it was concerned that sending another alert could create additional confusion, particularly for residents who were actually within the evacuation area. Officials feared some residents could receive conflicting information and mistakenly believe the evacuation order no longer applied to them.

“While we recognize that the initial WEA caused significant confusion for many residents, our decisions were guided by one priority: protecting human life and preventing further confusion for those who needed to evacuate,” the Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.

Sheriff’s Office says alert system appears to be working

The Sheriff’s Office said an initial review of the software used to issue Wireless Emergency Alerts has been completed and that, at this time, everything appears to be functioning properly.

The office has issued several additional alerts since Sunday and said it has not identified any additional issues. It has also notified the software vendor’s technicians and is working with them to ensure the system is functioning properly on the vendor’s end.

Based on what officials currently know, the Sheriff’s Office plans to continue using the current alert system, describing the Aug. 9 incident as an isolated occurrence. A more comprehensive investigation into why the alert reached areas outside its intended geographic boundary will be conducted when circumstances allow.

The Sheriff’s Office apologized for the confusion and concern caused by the alert and acknowledged the importance of public confidence in emergency notifications.

Officials said their staff remain focused on the Rocky Canyon fire and the safety of affected residents and communities.