False alarm: Glendale ‘evacuation alert’ sent to cellphones across LA County was a drill, officials say

GLENDALE, Calif. (KABC) — A Glendale “public safety alert” that was sent to cellphones and other mobile devices across Los Angeles and Ventura counties on Saturday morning was part of a drill, officials said.

The notification, which was sent shortly after 9 am, urged residents of Chevy Chase Canyon to “safely evacuate your home and proceed to the evacuation site” at Glendale Community College.

Minutes later, the city of Glendale tweeted: “THIS IS A DRILL: #MyGlendale is conducting an evacuation exercise in Chevy Chase Canyon.”

Many people who were unnerved by the alert took to social media — at first to express their alarm, followed by bemusement or annoyance.

“Everyone in LA googling where Chevy Chase Canyon is right now,” Marissa Monticolo tweeted.

“How stupid!” Diana Abraham said on Facebook. “Must have scared the people in that area unbelievably.”

About 30 minutes after the first notification, a follow-up was sent out that read: “Disregard evacuation message for Chevy Chase Canyon. Training exercise only.”

DEVELOPING: More details will be added to this report as they become available.