Los Angeles wildfires: Lack of water has hindered firefighting efforts
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The wind whips embers as the Palisades fire burns during a windstorm on the west side of Los Angeles, on Jan 8.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Jacey Fortin
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LOS ANGELES - A lack of water has hampered crews’ efforts to beat back the wildfires in Los Angeles.
Firefighters’ work in Pacific Palisades pushed the local water supply system to its limits before dawn on Jan 8, leaving some fire hydrants that are at higher elevations dry as crews battled the Palisades fire. Firefighters were drawing water faster than local tanks could be refilled, officials said at a Jan 8 news conference.
After daybreak, water shortages in some hydrants lingered as authorities worked to restore supplies. Helicopters have resumed flying over the Palisades and dropping water on the flames after being grounded overnight because of poor conditions, according to the office of Mayor Karen Bass.
At the crest of Sunset Boulevard on the morning of Jan 8, a desperate man dropped to his knees in front of a firefighter who was battling a fire consuming the house next door, begging him to turn the water on the flames threatening his own home. Another firefighter warned, “We’re down to 25 per cent. Hold off.”
The firefighters attached their hose to a new hydrant, only to discover that it was empty. They sprinted toward another, hoping for enough water to fight the fast-moving flames.
Ms Lisa Waters, 51, evacuated her home in the Palisades on the afternoon of Jan 7, driving on Sunset Boulevard as ash rained down. She said there was a massive presence of police and firefighters lining the road – but, she said, no water.
She later learned that both her business and home were completely destroyed.
“I think people have a lot of explaining to do,” she said. “We were wholly unprepared for this.”
The Palisades fire started on the morning of Jan 7
It remains unclear how many hydrants ran dry or if the water shortages have affected other fires burning in Los Angeles County. Captain Erik Scott, a public information officer for the Los Angeles Fire Department, said on the afternoon of Jan 8 that he was not aware of any water supply issues at the Eaton and Hurst fires, the two other major blazes in the area.
Ms Janisse Quinones, chief executive of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, said at the news conference that the system relies on three large water tanks, each holding about 1 million gallons, to maintain pressure for fire hydrants and uphill areas.
The tanks, along with all other water tanks in the city, were filled ahead of the fire to ensure water availability, according to Mr Scott.
But it wasn’t enough. Ms Quinones said two tanks were depleted on Jan 7, and the third ran dry around early on Jan 8 as water demand surged to four times the normal rate for 15 consecutive hours.
“We pushed the system to the extreme,” she said.
She said the city is working to provide as much water as possible, which includes identifying areas where tankers can refill.
Mr Mark Pestrella, director of Los Angeles County Public Works, urged residents to conserve water for firefighters’ use.
He recommended that residents turn off their water and gas before evacuating “so that we can continue to have that water supply for the hydrant system.”
The shortages have sparked criticism from residents and on social media, with some accusing officials of being unprepared for the fires. But officials at the news conference attributed the shortages to the severity of the fires, which grew rapidly, fueled by ferocious winds.
“A firefight with multiple fire hydrants drawing water from the system for several hours is unsustainable,” Mr Pestrella said. “This is a known fact.” NYTIMES
