A man called 911 when he saw sparks from the Eaton Fire landing in his backyard. He told the dispatcher that he and his adult son, both of whom have disabilities, needed help evacuating. He was assured that first responders were on their way. Minutes later, as flames overtook the yard, he called again: “Please hurry.” Help never came. Anthony Mitchell Sr. and son Justin Mitchell died.

LAist climate and environment reporter Erin Stone shared the Mitchells’ story to examine a critical and undercovered issue: how people with disabilities face disproportionate risk during climate-driven emergencies and how emergency-response systems often fail to meet their needs.

Read the story: Despite three 911 calls, two homebound disabled men died in the Eaton Fire waiting for rescue

A man called 911 when he saw sparks from the Eaton Fire landing in his backyard. He told the dispatcher that he and his adult son, both of whom have disabilities, needed help evacuating. He was assured that first responders were on their way. Minutes later, as flames overtook the yard, he called again: &ldquo;Please hurry.&rdquo; Help never came. Anthony Mitchell Sr. and son Justin Mitchell died.
LAist climate and environment reporter Erin Stone shared the Mitchells&rsquo; story to examine a critical and undercovered issue: how people with disabilities face disproportionate risk during climate-driven emergencies and how emergency-response systems often fail to meet their needs.
Read the story: <a href="https://laist.com/news/climate-environment/despite-three-911-calls-two-homebound-disabled-men-died-in-the-eaton-fire-waiting-for-rescue">Despite three 911 calls, two homebound disabled men died in the Eaton Fire waiting for rescue</a>

Imperfect Paradise is LAist's weekly on-demand news magazine show that pulls back the curtain and dives deeper into the biggest and most consequential SoCal stories of the week from our newsroom. New episodes drop every Friday.

Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live.

Imperfect Paradise is LAist's weekly on-demand news magazine show that pulls back the curtain and dives deeper into the biggest and most consequential SoCal stories of the week from our newsroom. New episodes drop every Friday.
Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live.