As Southern California wildfires continue to burn Los Angeles, firefighters are running out of water. Those fighting the Palisades fire reported on internal radio systems that hydrants were drying as the water supply dropped, reported LA Times.
Tuesday’s fire tore through homes in Pacific Palisades, prompting urgent evacuations. Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency, warning the situation could worsen on Wednesday, with wind speed expected to remain strong through the afternoon.
Los Angeles firefighters face water crisis as wildfires continue to burn city
One firefighter was heard saying, “The hydrants are down,” while another noted, “Water supply just dropped.” Billionaire developer Rick Caruso backed these claims, confirming to the outlet that he received similar reports from his staff at the Palisades Village.
“There’s no water in the fire hydrants,” said Caruso, who owns the shopping centre in the Westside neighbourhood. “The firefighters are there [in the neighborhood], and there’s nothing they can do — we’ve got neighborhoods burning, homes burning, and businesses burning. … It should never happen.”
Acknowledging reports of scarce water supply, a spokesperson for the Department of Water and Power said in a statement that its crew is working to “ensure the availability of water supplies.” “This area is served by water tanks and close coordination is underway to continue supplying the area,” the statement adds.
Devastating wildfires rage through Los Angeles
Fanned by “hurricane force” wind gusts of 100 mph, multiple wildfires continue to wreak havoc in Los Angeles County. At least 30,000 have been forced to flee their homes in the Pacific Palisades neighbourhood. Tuesday’s fire, which burned more than 2,900 acres, doubled in size early Wednesday morning, burning over 2,200 acres.
Newsom said that more than 1,400 firefighters, first responders, and officials were deployed “to combat these unprecedented fires in LA.” Evacuation orders have been placed for an additional 52,000 residents across the communities of Altadena, La Cañada Flintridge, and parts of Glendale, reported the Washington Post.
