A recent report has revealed that during the outbreak of wildfires in Los Angeles, particularly in the Pacific Palisades area, firefighters encountered a critical issue: empty fire hydrants.
As they battled the flames, hydrants ran dry, severely hampering their efforts to control the rapidly spreading fires.
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) attributed this problem to an unprecedented surge in water demand. Janisse Quiñones, chief executive and chief engineer of LADWP,
explained that the system experienced “four times the normal demand… for 15 hours straight,” leading to a significant drop in water pressure. This situation left firefighters without the necessary resources to combat the deadly blaze effectively.
Rick Caruso, a businessman and former commissioner for LADWP, expressed his frustration, stating, “There’s no water in the fire hydrants… The firefighters are there, and there’s nothing they can do—we’ve got neighborhoods burning, homes burning, and businesses burning… It should never happen.”
The Pacific Palisades fire has been classified as the most destructive in Los Angeles County’s history, with over 11,000 acres burned and at least two lives lost.
High winds have exacerbated the situation, spreading the flames rapidly and complicating containment efforts. Officials have urged residents to conserve water to support firefighting operations and mitigate further strain on the water supply system.
For more detailed information, you can read the full article here: Firefighters running out of water as fires tear through Los Angeles
