State cites water system limits, not empty reservoir, in fire

The deadly firestorms in Pacific Palisades and Altadena revealed the limitations of California’s urban water systems, which experts say are not designed with the capacity for large wildfires that rage through entire neighborhoods.

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THE SANTA YNEZ Reservoir was empty at the time of the Palisades blaze.

(MYUNG J. CHUN Los Angeles Times)

State officials said in the report that without further data and analysis, it is not clear exactly how much longer a full reservoir might have kept hydrants running, but that “based on experiences with prior fires,” the demands on the system were so large that they would have quickly exceeded the system's maximum.

The L.A. Department of Water and Power said in a July report that the Palisades fire’s swift spread “led to extraordinary demands” on a part of the system called the Westgate Trunk Line, as firefighters drew from hydrants and residents left sprinklers and hoses running. In addition, as homes burned, water gushed from their damaged pipes, contributing to the loss of pressure.

When the system lost pressure in parts of Pacific Palisades, some fire hydrants in high-elevation areas ran dry.

Similar loss of pressure has occurred during other big California wildfires, including the Tubbs and Thomas fires in 2017 and the Camp and Woolsey fires in 2018.

DWP officials have said they took steps to make water available for firefighters, including by deploying watertankers and trucks to Pacific Palisades. However, the Los Angeles Fire Department said in a report last month that firefighters faced delays in getting vital water trucks into the area.