For some 15 hours as wildfires spiraled out of control in Los Angeles, the public water system faced four times its usual demand, causing some hydrants to run dry and hindering the fight against the flames, local water officials said Wednesday.
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power was pushing water from aqueducts and groundwater into the system, but demand was so high, it wasn’t enough to refill three one-million gallon tanks in hilly Pacific Palisades that help pressurize hydrants for the neighborhood. They went dry on several occasions and at least 1,000 buildings were engulfed in flames.
