Fire hydrants in Los Angeles ran dry in parts of the city when firefighters needed them most, and some of the problems came from pumping water.
The problems with the water pressure running dry in the hydrants, along with the unavailability of the Santa Ynez Reservoir for water supply, led Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) to call for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and Los Angeles County to conduct independent investigations on the failings and how to fix them for future fires.
NEW: I am calling for an independent investigation into the loss of water pressure to local fire hydrants and the reported unavailability of water supplies from the Santa Ynez Reservoir.
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) January 10, 2025
We need answers to ensure this does not happen again and we have every resource available to… pic.twitter.com/R0vq0wwZph
“I am calling for an independent investigation into the loss of water pressure to local fire hydrants and the reported unavailability of water supplies from the Santa Ynez Reservoir. We need answers to ensure this does not happen again and we have every resource available to fight these catastrophic fires,” Newsom said after sending a letter outlining his request to Los Angeles officials.
The system used for the hydrants requires water to be pumped to tanks or reservoirs, then fed down using a gravity system to homes and fire hydrants for water use, but the capacity of the tanks was too small for the intense firefighting the fires required, according to a report from Bloomberg.
To pump and refuel the tanks requires significant energy, with bulky diesel-fueled generators having to be used in many instances, according to the report. Another problem pumping to the system comes if the power is cut, as some states have done when there is a high risk of a wildfire starting.
In Newsom’s letter demanding an investigation, he acknowledged that “water supplies from local fire hydrants are not designed to extinguish wildfires over large areas” but also said he wants solutions to prevent such problems from happening in the future.
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CEO and Chief Engineer of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power Janisse Quinones said at a press conference earlier this week that when battling the Palisades Fire, water demand was four times what the system had ever seen.
The wildfires across the Los Angeles area this week are responsible for the deaths of at least 11 people and an estimated billions of dollars in property damage.