L.A.’s hydrants ran dry during the fires. Residents are still demanding solutions
The deadly wildfires in January revealed the limitations of Southern California’s water systems. When the overtaxed systems lost pressure, fire hydrants ran dry.
Nearly a year later, residents and experts are weighing solutions that would make more water available for firefighting, including installing cisterns, tapping water from swimming pools, or even turning to mobile pumps and pipes that could quickly route water where it’s needed.
As the flames of the Palisades fire licked at his home, Ricardo Kawamura stood in his front yard watching smoke pour out of a second-story window. He saw a fire engine parked next to a hydrant on his street, and called for help.
“They told me they did not have enough water,” Kawamura said. “And unfortunately, there was nothing that they could do at that time.”