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Firefighters struggled to keep fire hydrants working properly Tuesday as several fires in the Los Angeles area began to rage, with hydrants in Pacific Palisades running dry Wednesday, according to fire officials. fire and water who spoke at a press conference on Wednesday morning. There are currently three major fires burning in the LA area, which have destroyed more than 1,000 structures and killed two people, with thousands evacuating.
“We tried to keep the water at all heights on the Palisades, and I think at three o’clock in the morning, that’s when the hydrants ran dry,” said Janisse Quiñones, CEO of the Department of Water and of Los Angeles Energy, in a press conference. Wednesday.
The hydrants are taking water from the nearby reservoir and LA City Fire Chief Kristin Crowley said they don’t have a specific number of hydrants that ended up out of water, but she emphasized that it was temporary and “came in phases.”
“Our firefighters always have a primary plan, a rescue plan, contingency and an emergency plan. So often, just to make the public aware, in large brush fires, water supplies are normally limited Crowley said. “So, with this, our device has the ability to draw water if we need it out of pools, ponds, any kind of water resource. We also use water tenders…”
Frustration over the lack of water in hydrants is not new and has become a point of contention for people who say it is the result of poor management. Rick Caruso, a billionaire real estate developer who ran an unsuccessful campaign for mayor of LA in 2022, told the LA Times that staff at his nearby Palisades Village property reported Tuesday the difficulties with the fire hydrants
“There is no water in the fire hydrants,” Caruso said LA Times. “The firefighters are here (in the neighborhood), and there’s nothing they can do — we’ve got neighborhoods burning, homes burning, and businesses burning.”
Caruso blamed city officials but did not seem to mention the challenges presented by climate change, which has worsened the current fire crisis in Southern California.
“The LA County Fire Department was prepared for one or two major brush fires, but not four, especially given these sustained winds and low humidity,” LA County Fire Chief Anthony C. Marrone said. on wednesday
The three fires currently burning in the LA area now include the Eaton Fire near Pasadena at 2,200 acres, the Hurst Fire in the San Fernando Valley at 500 acres, and the Palisades Fire at more than 5,000 acres. Two people died and while the exact number of injuries has not yet been reported, the number is “significant”, according to LAist.
U winds of Santa Ana have driven the dangerous spread of the fires, with wind gusts of 99 kilometers per hour recorded late Tuesday near Pasadena, according to the New York Times. Tens of thousands of people are currently under mandatory evacuation orders in Southern California, and emergency centers are being set up to handle not only humans fleeing the flames, but also animals.
Jonathan Vigliotti, CBS reporter shared a video the X Wednesday morning of the devastation in Pacific Palisades, with many buildings clearly destroyed.
This is what remains of Pacific Palisades. The mall survived. Most everything else is gone. Homes, apartment complexes…businesses. pic.twitter.com/Vfz721V48J
— Jonathan Vigliotti 🐋 (@JonVigliotti) January 8, 2025
More than 1,000 structures were destroyed in the Palisades Fire, including the local public library, which was deemed a total loss. Pet supply store Malibu Feed Bin posted on Facebook that the business was also destroyed after 60 years in operation.
Some wealthy people seem to be looking for some kind of shortcut around city services that can help them in their time of need, especially since Pacific Palisades is a generally very wealthy area. Keith Wasserman, CEO of technology and real estate investor, sent a call to X on Tuesday night to try to find a private fire force that could save his house.
“Does anyone have access to private firefightersto protect our house in Pacific Palisades? We need to act fast here. All the neighboring houses on fire. Will pay any amount. Thank you,” Wasserman wrote in the viral tweet.
Wasserman had previously tweeted to complain about the cost of property taxes, the very thing that funds firefighters in Los Angeles, even asking incoming President Donald Trump to lower them for everyone, apparently unaware that property taxes are decided at the local level.
