Fire hydrants ran dry in California, highlighting a major problem in firefighting
Share:
For some 15 hours as wildfires spiraled out of control in Los Angeles, the public water system faced four times its usual demand, causing some hydrants to run dry and hindering the fight against the flames, local water officials said Wednesday. The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power was pushing water from aqueducts and groundwater into the system, but demand was so high, it wasn’t enough to refill three one-million gallon tanks in hilly Pacific Palisades that help pressurize hydrants for the neighborhood. They went dry on several occasions and at least 1,000 buildings were engulfed in flames.
That prompted a swirl of criticism on social media against Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and Gov. Gavin Newsom's water management policies, including from President-elect Donald Trump. Regional water officials pushed back on Wednesday, saying the system was strained due to heavy stress on a municipal water system not designed for fighting such massive blazes.
“We’re fighting a wildfire with urban water systems, and that is really challenging,” said Janisse Quiñones, CEO of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. Indeed, as wildfires become increasingly common in urban areas such as Boulder, Colorado and Lahaina, Hawaii, public water systems are often unable to meet the demand of fighting these large fires. Human-caused climate change is making it worse, experts say.
Trump seized on the moment to blame Newsom for the dry fire hydrants. In a post on his Truth Social media network Wednesday, he renewed criticisms of the state's approach to balancing the distribution of water to farms and cities with the need to protect endangered species including the Delta smelt. Trump has sided with farmers over environmentalists in a long-running dispute over California’s scarce water resources.
Share:
More for You
Top Followed
You Might Also Like
