When flames bellowed up out of Eaton Canyon on the evening of Jan. 7, west Altadena did not, at first glance, seem to pose the most urgent challenge for evacuations. So why did it take so long for evacuation alerts to go out?

Duke’s, the iconic seaside restaurant in Malibu, survived the Palisades fire, but its driveway is now buried in mud, delaying its reopening.