The alert was intended only for Calabasas, Agoura Hills and West Hills residents near the Kenneth Fire.
However, it was mistakenly issued to nearly 10 million L.A. County residents, along with some residents of neighboring counties, according to a statement issued Thursday evening by Kevin McGowan, the director of the L.A. County Office of Emergency Management.
"We understand that these wildfires have created great anxiety, hardship and distress among our residents, and we are committed to sharing accurate information," McGowan's statement said.
L.A. County Supervisor Janice Hahn said the widespread alert was mistakenly issued due to a technical error.
The alert was sent around 4 p.m. and said in part: "An EVACUATION WARNING has been issued in your area. Remain vigilant of any threats and be ready to evacuate."
A correction alert was issued minutes later.
Several government agencies quickly issued statements to reassure residents that the message was an error.
"There are no evacuations for the city of West Hollywood," the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's West Hollywood Station said on social media. "We understand the confusion caused by the emergency alert. We would like to reiterate, there is no evacuations for the city of West Hollywood."
City News Service contributed to this report.