California Governor Gavin Newsom in response to the disastrous fires in Southern California, has ordered an investigation into the reasons behind water supply issues that caused fire hydrants to dry up and hindered firefighting efforts.
Newsom demanded answers amid criticism of Los Angeles municipal authorities’ response to the tragedy and inquiries into whether local water-related planning and decisions contributed to firefighters being denied water during the most catastrophic wildfire in the city’s history. The governor has also faced criticism for the state’s response to the disaster, mostly from right-wing media outlets and on social media.
The governor responded on social media that he is calling for an independent investigation to know the precise reason. He said that they need answers to ensure this does not happen again and have every resource available to fight these catastrophic fires.
The governor cited news reports that the reservoir at Pacific Palisades was empty and out of commission during the flames, and that some fire hydrants had lost water pressure. The governor described the findings as “deeply troubling to me and the community.” On Friday, he wrote to Janisse Quiñones, chief engineer and chief executive of the L.A. Department of Water and Power, expressing his worries.
He emphasised that deep investigation is needed so that when and how it took place, needs tp be resolved completely. Neighborhood water supply systems are unable to handle such high water volumes, according to water researchers and experts.
According to the DWP, staff members are analyzing the impact of the reservoir going offlineIt’s uncertain if combating the fire would have been significantly different if the reservoir had been functioning.
Newsom directed state water and firefighting officials to prepare an independent after-incident report examining the causes of lost water supply and water pressure in municipal water systems during the fire events, and to identify measures that local governments can implement to provide adequate water supply for emergency response during future catastrophic events.
