Residents who evacuated for the Eaton Fire described prolonged displacement, difficulty finding hotel rooms and obstacles getting back into homes as debris removal and infrastructure checks took time.

Jeff Bridal, who said he had experienced four evacuations, told the session he and others "were not prepared for the length that we'd have to be out." Caroline Brown, a canyon resident of 56 years, said repeated evacuations contribute to what she called "evacuation fatigue." Caroline Heldman, a Lower Canyon resident, praised the warnings she received but asked for a community volunteer network to assist older adults, visitors and people with disabilities during evacuations.

Curt Johnson, the lead consultant, told attendees that evacuation, sheltering and reentry are separate technical problems. He said reentry can be slow because officials must ensure conditions are safe, citing road conditions, downed power lines and public-health cleanup as reasons reentry can take months. Johnson also said shelters and alternative housing options such as hotels are only one component of a broader sheltering strategy and noted that planning should include pets: "It's law. We have a responsibility to make sure that we're not only finding people, you know, shelter operations ... but also to make sure that their pets are part of that process."

Residents asked the city to compile lists of hotels and volunteer escorts, and to make it easier to reenter properties to collect personal belongings. Consultants and staff said they will log these needs in the after-action work and consider recommendations for an evacuation/reentry plan or sheltering procedures. No formal policy changes were made at the listening session; consultants will offer recommendations to city staff and the City Council.