LOS ANGELES (KTLA) – California Gov. Gavin Newsom has ordered an investigation into the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power amid reports of a loss of water pressure to fire hydrants and limited water resources in the wildfire zones.
In the letter addressed to LADWP Chief Executive Officer and Chief Engineer Janisse Quiñones and L.A. County Public Works Director Mark Pestrella, Newsom wrote, “The ongoing reports of 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.”
“We need answers to how that happened,” Newsom continued, explaining his decision to order an independent investigation from state water and fire officials examining the causes of lost water supplies and water pressure.
KTLA has reached out to LADWP for a response.
Newsom concluded the letter by offering assistance and the “full technical capacity of the state,” adding that he hopes “to learn from the lesson of this tragedy.”
The Palisades Fire, which has destroyed thousands of homes and businesses, erupted on Tuesday on North Piedra Morada Drive in Pacific Palisades and spread rapidly amid hurricane-force Santa Ana winds.
At a news conference on Wednesday, Quiñones said that by 3 a.m. on Jan. 8, all 1-million-gallon water storage tanks that supply the Palisades hydrants “went dry.” Of those three tanks, the first ran dry just before 5 p.m. Tuesday, the second before 9 p.m. and the third early Wednesday morning.
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Beachfront properties are left destroyed by the Palisades Fire, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025 in Malibu, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) -
A firefighter battles the Palisades Fire as it burns a structure in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope) -
The Palisades Fire burns a residence in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
“We had tremendous demand on our systems in the Palisades,” Quiñones said. “We pushed the system to the extreme. Four times the normal demand was seen for 15 hours straight, which lowered our water pressure.”
On X, formerly Twitter, L.A. Fire Department Public Information Officer Erik Scott acknowledged the water challenges crews were dealing with and added that LADWP proactively filled all available water storage tanks.
“However, water availability was impacted at higher elevations, which affected some fire hydrants due to limited replenishment of water tanks in those areas,” he said. “The extreme demand caused a slower refill rate for these tanks.”
In his letter, Newsom called on LADWP and L.A. County officials to “swiftly prepare a comprehensive review examining their local preparations and response procedures.”
Marc Sternfield at KTLA contributed to this report.