LA Fire Hydrants Run Dry During Palisades Wildfire: System Overwhelmed by Demand
During the Palisades wildfire, insufficient water pressure in fire hydrants severely hampered firefighting efforts. Three large water tanks supplying the area’s higher elevations ran dry due to exceptionally high water demand—four times the normal rate—outpacing the system’s ability to refill them. This resulted in widespread criticism of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power for inadequate infrastructure and chronic underinvestment. The situation highlighted the vulnerability of the city’s water system during major emergencies, especially in hilly terrain. Twenty water tankers were deployed to assist, but access to pump stations was also hampered by the fire.
John Q. Hosedrinker