Firefighters trying to put a dent in the raging Palisades Fire in Los Angeles County were helpless as fire hydrants in the area ran out of water. The Los Angeles Times reports that starting at about 3 AM this morning, Wednesday, January 8, all the fire hydrants in the Pacific Palisades area had gone dry, and the problem reportedly started as early as Tuesday, the same day the fire started.
The LA Times reports that firefighters reported their troubles via internal radio communications.
“The hydrants are down,” one said.
“Water supply just dropped,” said another firefighter.
On Wednesday morning, Janisse Quiñones, chief executive and chief engineer of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, said: “We had a tremendous demand on our system in the Palisades. We pushed the system to the extreme. [There was] four times the normal demand . . . for 15 hours straight, which lowered our water pressure.”
News reporters point out that had the winds not been so extreme, firefighting helicopters could have supported the firefighters’ efforts on the ground. However, many people are pointing to this issue and saying it’s a critical failure of the city’s infrastructure in a time of crisis, costing an untold number of homes and businesses.
So far, the Palisades Fire has burned more than 11,000 acres. This wildfire, along with several others in the same general area, have destroyed more than 1,000 structures, and at least two people have died.
See ABC 7 live news coverage of the Palisades Fire here, including a discussion about the hydrants that ran out of water:
This situation is evolving. Please check back for updates.