Newsom calls for investigation into lack of water to combat Palisades Fire

Following concerns that firefighters lacked resources and dealt with low water pressure to combat the devastating Palisades Fire in the initial stages of the crisis, Gov. Gavin Newsom today ordered an independent investigation into the matter.  

In a letter addressed to the heads of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and L.A. County Public Works, Newsom ordered officials to prepare a comprehensive review examining their preparation and response procedures to ensure available water supply for emergencies, and demanded documents detailing any causes of the loss of water pressure and unavailability of water supplies.  

"The ongoing reports of the loss of water pressure to some local fire hydrants during the fires and the reported unavailability of water supplies from the Santa Ynez Reservoir are deeply troubling to me and to the community,'' Newsom wrote. "While water supplies from local fire hydrants are not designed to extinguish wildfires over large areas, losing supplies from fire hydrants likely impaired the effort to protect some homes and evacuation corridors.

"We need answers to how that happened,'' Newsom continued. ``... I am requesting you to fully and transparently share information and records for the state's after-incident review.''

The Palisades Fire broke out Tuesday, and has grown to over 21,000 acres, leveling much of the Pacific Palisades. At least five people have died in the fire.

The L.A. Times reported Thursday that a large reservoir in the area was out of use at a time when the fire was destroyed homes, businesses, schools and other structures.

Officials with the LADWP told The Times that the Santa Ynez Reservoir had been closed for repairs to its cover. That closure left a 117-million gallon water storage facility empty during a time of great need.

DWP officials told The Times the ``reservoir's absence likely contributed to some diminished pressure and dry hydrants in the upper regions of the Palisades.'' The department was evaluating the effect of the reservoirbeing offline and conducting a ``root-cause analysis,'' according to The Times.

On We dnesday, Mayor Karen Bass said she was frustrated that the Los Angeles Fire Department had limited resources to combat the Palisades Fire. Bass, among other city officials, explained the dire situation firefighters were in with dangerous Santa Ana winds preventing air support and extreme demand on the water system.

Bass explained that fire hydrants were not constructed to deal with the massive devastation happening in the Palisades.   

"The No. 1 problem, especially on Wednesday, was the fact that we did not have air support because of the winds,'' Bass said.  

She noted that with winds subsiding, firefighters began water drops.   

``As winds change, our resources change, we redistribute and we move,'' Bass said. ``That's the dynamic situation that we are in -- even in day three.''

Los Angeles Department of Water and Power CEO Janisse Quiñones previously said there were three water tanks available for firefighters in the Palisades Fire, but high demand drained resources.

Firefighters also dealt with low water pressure at higher elevations -- an issue Quiñones said the department is working to solve. DWP officials cited old infrastructure and, again, extreme demand for water.   

Quiñones noted that about 200 of the approximately 1,000 fire hydrants in Pacific Palisades were without water.  

The lack of water in some hydrants drew criticism in some political quarters, including from President-elect Donald Trump, who slammed Newsom for decisions on water diversion during Trump's first term.

On Friday, Newsom invited Trump to visit California.   

``The hundreds of thousands of Americans -- displaced from their homes and fearful for the future -- deserve to see us all working together in their best interests, not politicizing a human tragedy and spreading disinformation from the sidelines,'' Newsom said.\