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Following some public criticism about the county's decision not to evacuate Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall in Sylmar as the nearby Hurst Fire raged, county Probation Department officials insisted Tuesday they were prepared to act and kept detainees safe, but the facility never fell under a mandatory evacuation order.
The decision was nonetheless characterized as irresponsible by the advocacy group Youth Justice Coalition LA.
"When you call, they will make excuses and say 'this is not yet a mandatory evacuation,'" the group posted to X. "This is incredibly dangerous, misleading, and irresponsible. If their children were being held half a mile from a wildfire, they'd be out," the post continued.
The Hurst Fire was reported at 10:30 p.m. Jan. 7 in the 5900 block of Yarnell Street, near Foothill Boulevard in Sylmar. As of Tuesday afternoon, the fire had burned 799 acres and was 97% contained.
Addressing the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, Chief Probation Officer Guillermo Viera Rosa said, "Given the tremendous public question with why we didn't evacuate... (was) because it wasn't appropriate to evacuate, so the emergency management team was on site and ready to do so."
Supervisor Lindsey Horvath said her office had received multiple calls from residents concerned about the youth in the facility, and called for the department to improve communication with families of youth detainees.
Angry residents speaking at the board meeting accused the department of endangering the youth by not evacuating under warnings, with one formerly incarcerated individual stating the youth "were not given the dignity to evacuate like the other community members."
Robert Arcos from the county District Attorney's Office said probation staff were working 12-hour shifts at the facility to provide round-the-clock assistance during the fire.
Arcos said visitations over the week had been moved inside; N95 masks were provided for youth, staff and visitors; and additional air purifiers were deployed at the facility.
City News contributed to this report
