Emergency evacuation alerts have gone off the rails, pinging people seemingly at random. Experts say that such errors can sow mistrust in the alert system, potentially endangering residents down the line.

Some residents across Los Angeles County woke up Friday to a wireless emergency evacuation alert, but county officials confirmed it was another "erroneous" message.

Emergency managers in Los Angeles apologized Friday after false evacuation alerts sparked panic in a city on edge over an unprecedented wildfire disaster.Kevin McGowan, the director of the Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management,

An alert to evacuate from the Los Angeles County Fire Department on Thursday afternoon appeared to have been sent in error.