Why L.A. firefighters were short of water to fight the huge wildfires
While battling the huge wildfires in Los Angeles, many firefighters suddenly found they had lost access to a crucial firefighting resource — water. Here’s a look at how that happened and why.
What water problems did firefighters encounter?
Firefighters were still fighting Thursday to control a series of major fires in the Los Angeles area that have killed five people, ravaged communities and sent thousands of people frantically fleeing their homes.
A day earlier, firefighters fighting the massive blazes in the city’s hilly Pacific Palisades neighourhood plugged their hoses into local fire hydrants and found they couldn’t get the water flowing, local media such as the L.A. Times reported.
Janisse Quiñones, chief executive and chief engineer of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP), said the problem was restricted to hydrants at high elevations.
Los Angeles fire chief Kristin Crowley, speaking Wednesday alongside her county counterpart, says a second major wildfire has erupted in Sylmar, a suburban area of L.A.
What caused the water flow problems?
Quiñones said all water storage tanks in the Palisades had been emptied by 3 a.m. local time that morning.
Those three tanks had each contained 3.8 million litres (a million U.S. gallons of water).
LADWP noted that water continued to flow in the Palisades area through its main system.
It added that firefighting had caused “tremendous demand” in the region — roughly quadruple the usual demand.
That lowered the water pressure in the Palisades area.
The number of hoses needed for ground-level firefighting was particularly high due to the high winds that prevented water bombers from flying for much of the day.
Mark Pestrella, director of Los Angeles County Public Works, said at a news conference Thursday that “a firefight with multiple fire hydrants drawing water from municipal water systems is just not sustainable. That’s why the air support is so important.”
In response to a media question Thursday, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass acknowledged she was frustrated by the water issues on Wednesday, but she noted these wildfires were an “unprecedented” event.
“We also know that the fire hydrants are not constructed to deal with this type of massive devastation,” she added.
As of Thursday morning, she said, the water situation was “a little better,” since the winds had died down enough to allow for aerial firefighting.
What are authorities doing about these water problems?
The LADWP said Wednesday afternoon that it had deployed 19 tanker trucks, each carrying 7,600 to 15,000 litres (2,000 to 4,000 U.S. gallons) to support firefighting efforts.
“Our crews are working on how to refill the tanks during this very active firestorm,” it added in a statement.
It is also asking customers in the Westside to conserve water.
On Wednesday evening, LADWP opened all its reservoirs to water bombers.
Pestrella said all the reservoirs are full and “continue to be ready and at the disposal of our firefighting friends.”
Quiñones also spoke at Thursday’s news conference, adding that LADWP is also working “around the clock” with other local water agencies to increase water supply and pressure.
L.A. fire chief Kristin Crawley said the high winds forced firefighting crews to change their strategies and tactics, but they were responding to the challenges.
“If we don’t have water, we find water, we use water tenders, we draft water…. we’re going to do everything in our absolute effort to do what we can do with what we’ve got.”
The good news, she said, was that winds were subsiding, and she expected water drops and other aerial firefighting to continue all day Thursday.
Published at Wed, 08 Jan 2025 14:51:29 +0000
Cancellations and chaos continue as Hollywood reacts to ongoing L.A. fires
The toll of the devastating fires still churning through Los Angeles is compounding for the film industry as the crisis enters its third day, with more events being postponed and stars like Billy Crystal and Mandy Moore mourning the destruction of their homes.
The announcement of the Oscar nominations has been delayed by two days amid the ongoing fires. The list of stars and films up for awards will now be revealed on Jan. 19, instead of Jan. 17.
The voting, which opened on Monday for the nearly 10,000 Academy members, has also been extended by two days, now ending on Jan. 14. Academy CEO Bill Kramer offered condolences to those affected by the fires in a letter sent to members.
“So many of our members and industry colleagues live and work in the Los Angeles area, and we are thinking of you,” the letter stated.
As of Thursday morning in L.A., firefighters were battling four separate blazes stretching from the Pacific Coast to inland Pasadena. At least five people have been killed, and 130,000 people are under evacuation orders.
Only a few days ago, Hollywood’s biggest stars were walking the red carpet at the Golden Globes to kick off awards show season.
Now, major industry events have been knocked off course as the film world reels from the fires. The Critics Choice Awards, held in Santa Monica, have been rescheduled from Jan. 12 to Jan. 26. The Screen Actors Guild Award nominations were revealed Wednesday by press release instead of an in-person announcement. The AFI Awards luncheon and the BAFTA Tea Party have been delayed from their originally scheduled dates of Jan. 10 and Jan. 11, respectively.
Premieres for films such as Better Man and The Last Showgirl have been cancelled, and shooting has been paused for shows and films in the affected area.
The largest of the fires has been burning since Tuesday morning, when it roared through the affluent neighbourhood of Pacific Palisades, sending residents scrambling to flee and leaving the roads jammed with abandoned cars.
‘We raised our children and grandchildren here’
Billy Crystal and his wife, Janice, said in a statement Wednesday that the home they had lived in for 45 years had been destroyed in the Palisades fire.
“Janice and I lived in our home since 1979,” they wrote. “We raised our children and grandchildren here. Every inch of our house was filled with love. Beautiful memories that can’t be taken away. We are heartbroken of course but with the love of our children and friends we will get through this.”
Singer and actor Mandy Moore, who evacuated with her family on Tuesday, said Wednesday that she had lost her home in Altadena, near the Palisades.
“Honestly, I’m in shock and feeling numb,” she wrote in an Instagram post. “My children’s school is gone. Our favorite restaurants, leveled. So many friends and loved ones have lost everything too. Our community is broken but we will be here to rebuild together.”
Paris Hilton shared a news clip to her Instagram on Wednesday, saying that watching her home in Malibu “burn to the ground on live TV is something no one should ever have to experience.”
She said the house in question was where her son Phoenix took his first steps and where they “built so many precious memories.”
“While the loss is overwhelming, I’m holding onto gratitude that my family and pets are safe. My heart and prayers are going out to every family affected by these fires.”
Cary Elwes, known for The Princess Bride and other films, shared on Instagram that his home had also been lost in the Palisades fire.
“Sadly we did lose our home but we are grateful to have survived this truly devastating fire,” he wrote.
Other celebrities known to have homes in the area include Adam Sandler, Ben Affleck, Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg. Canadian actor Eugene Levy was among those who evacuated on Tuesday, telling the Los Angeles Times he had to flee through dark smoke.
Star Wars actor Mark Hamill evacuated his home in Malibu on Tuesday, saying there were “small fires on both sides of the road” as they drove.
Reality TV stars Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag, known for The Hills, confirmed on social media that their home was lost in the Palisades fire.
Montag shared Wednesday that she’d only packed two pairs of jeans and two shirts for herself before they evacuated.
“I got so much more clothes for the kids,” she said in an Instagram story. Emotion creeping into her voice, she added that they thought “of course I’m coming back” when deciding what to bring.
“Just praying for everyone else who is going through this.”
Published at Thu, 09 Jan 2025 19:30:44 +0000
