By Abbas Nazil
As Los Angeles grapples with fast-moving wildfires, a critical failure exacerbated the crisis: fire hydrants ran dry, leaving firefighters scrambling to control the infernos without water.
Up to 20 percent of the city’s hydrants were reported dry earlier this week, prompting Los Angeles Fire Department Chief, Kristin M. Crowley, to confirm that firefighters had ceased relying on hydrants altogether.
The situation, which has sparked widespread outrage and criticism, has now led California Governor Gavin Newsom to call for an independent investigation into the alarming water shortage.
The failure of the hydrant system stemmed from a confluence of factors, including unprecedented water demand, high winds, blackouts, and aging infrastructure.
Experts noted that Los Angeles’ municipal water system, which draws from 200 utilities, is designed to manage smaller urban fires—not large-scale wildfires descending from the hills at speeds of up to five football fields per minute.
Marty Adams, a former general manager at the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, described the crisis as an extreme scenario requiring new infrastructure strategies to address future wildfires of this magnitude.
The crisis reached a breaking point when three high-elevation water tanks, supplying the Pacific Palisades, a hard-hit area, were drained completely.
Officials revealed that the tanks, each holding 1 million gallons, were overwhelmed by surging demand, further straining the hydrant system and lowering overall water pressure.
A nearby 117-million-gallon reservoir, which could have alleviated some pressure, was offline for repairs, further compounding the problem.
High winds also hampered efforts to deploy aerial water drops from Southern California’s reservoirs, which were reportedly above historical levels.
At the same time, blackouts affected electrical pumping systems critical for maintaining water flow to hydrants.
FEMA reported that electricity had to be limited in some areas to prevent further fire spread, exacerbating the water supply issues.
The crisis has drawn sharp criticism from residents and political figures alike.
Rachel Darvish, a resident of the scorched Pacific Palisades, publicly confronted Governor Newsom, while critics such as former mayoral candidate, Rick Caruso, cited “absolute mismanagement” by the city.
Some on the political right, including Donald Trump, accused California’s leadership of gross incompetence, though experts dismissed claims about mismanagement of state reservoirs.
As California leaders vowed to address the crisis and prevent future occurrences, experts cautioned that without significant investment in water and power redundancy, Los Angeles might face similar challenges in the future.
Governor Newsom underscored the gravity of the situation, condemning attempts to politicize the tragedy, as residents continued to reel from the devastating wildfires.