A dangerous wait for water trucks during Palisades fire

Report reveals ways crews were stymied in getting vital supplies during January blaze.

- HANNAH FRY AND IAN JAMES

DURING the Palisades fire, crews faced delays getting specialized tanker trucks called water tenders.

When fire hydrants ran dry in the first hours of the Palisades fire, firefighters faced confusion and costly delays in getting vital water trucks into the area to help fight the destructive blaze, new city documents revealed.

It took some time for officials to secure so-called tender trucks and when they finally arrived, the fire was so intense they needed escorts to get to the front lines, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department's after-action report released last week.

“Engineers were needed to shuttle water from further locations, further delaying suppression efforts,” the report said.

The revelations underscore how scarce water supplies hampered the Palisades fire fight.

As the inferno consumed homes Jan. 7, some hydrants ran dry in high-elevation areas, The Times has reported. The 117-million gallon Santa Ynez Reservior — long seen as a lifeline for the Palisades — was empty and undergoing repairs.

Rick Crawford, a former LAFD battalion chief who retired from the agency in 2024, said that if the Fire Department had spoken with the Department of Water and Power after the wind forecast came in, the agency likely would have known firefighters would face water issues in the Palisades. Then they could have prepared, he said.

“They had ample opportunity to have these discussions and implement their water tender strategy,” Crawford said. “None of this was done.”

The water pressure from the hydrants fell as the fire burned. Firefighters tried to turn off water to several homes to conserve. Multiple divisions refirefighting quested water tenders, both from the city and private sources. But there was a delay in asking for the city Emergency Management Department's support getting the trucks, the report states.