Kevin Tidmarsh is Weekend Edition's Producer. Kevin started out in audio making an independent history podcast at Pomona College before going on to work for NPR's Morning Edition, KCRW and Stitcher.
It’s a headline no one would want to see: Fire hydrants being used to fight the Palisades Fire were running dry.
LADWP’s explanation for the shortage comes down to three nearby water tanks, each with a storage capacity of about a million gallons. These tanks help maintain enough pressure for water to travel uphill through pipes to homes and fire hydrants — but the pressure had decreased 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.
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. And one of the biggest ways to reduce stress on municipal systems is for local residents to have their own water supplies — like tanks or even pools — for emergency personnel to use. To learn more about these tanks, seeEvacuation terms can be confusing. Here’s what they mean and how to sign up for alertsWhat to do — and not do — when you get home after a wildfire
Greg Pierce Director Of The UCLA Water Resources Group How Did LA Run Out Of Water During The Wildfires? How Do Firefighters Get Water During A Fire? LADWP CEO Janisse Quiñones Pacific Palisades Palisades Fire What Caused LA To Run Out Of Water? What Happened To The Water In LA During The Fires? Why Did Fire Hydrants In The Pacific Palisades Run Water Pressure Rick Caruso
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