California Governor Gavin Newsom has initiated an independent investigation into the recent shortage of hydrant water during the devastating Los Angeles fires. Newsom expressed deep concern that the inadequate water supply severely hindered efforts to safeguard homes and evacuation corridors, emphasizing that this situation is deeply troubling, especially considering the ongoing wildfires in the Los Angeles area.
Although local hydrants are not designed to extinguish large-scale wildfires, the loss of water pressure from these hydrants significantly impaired the ability to protect certain homes and evacuation routes. Consequently, Newsom has directed state water and firefighting officials to conduct a thorough, independent after-incident report.
This report will examine the underlying causes of the lost water supply and decreased water pressure in municipal water systems during the fires. Furthermore, it will identify concrete measures that local governments can implement to ensure a reliable water supply for emergency response efforts during future catastrophic events.
The investigation comes at a critical time, as the Los Angeles wildfire crisis is expected to be the most costly in US history, with estimated economic losses approaching $50 billion. This staggering figure has been revised upward as the fires continue to spread unchecked across several counties. According to analyst Jimmy Bhullar at JPMorgan, the total economic losses from the fires are now projected to be double the initial estimate, highlighting the severity of the crisis.
