The recent Palisades Fire in Los Angeles exposed the limitations of municipal water systems in handling the demands of firefighting. Low water pressure led to dry fire hydrants, forcing officials to rely on water trucks. Experts say that while the situation highlights the need for more robust water reserves in wildfire-prone areas, the financial cost of such a system is significant.
City officials stressed that the shortage was due to low water pressure, not a complete lack of water. But what caused it, and can it be prevented?The water pressure in the Palisades has been kept in balance by three tanks of one million gallons each. LADWP had decreased the volume in these tanks due to heavy water use, and officials knew the tanks couldn’t keep up the drain forever.
“We pushed the system to the extreme,” LADWP CEO Janisse Quiñones said in a news conference. “Four times the normal demand was seen for 15 hours straight, which lowered our water pressure.” In these cases, firefighters have to rely on other water sources. For the Palisades Fire, LADWP brought in 19 water trucks, each with capacities of 4,000 gallons.
“County and city water reservoirs — open reservoirs — are available and on standby once support becomes available,” he said.While the news of dry fire hydrants came as a shock to many local residents, it’s a known concern that firefighters have run into in the past: As homes burn and water lines begin to leak, overall water pressure drops, meaning that hydrants can run dry before long.
Pierce said that level of financial commitment would be “incredibly expensive,” but that’s what would be needed in order to keep fire hydrants running — especially in mountainous or hilly regions where local agencies also have to contend with pumping water uphill.
WILDFIRE WATER SHORTAGE FIRE HYDRANTS LOS ANGELES LADWP EMERGENCY RESPONSE CALIFORNIA
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