What Caused Pacific Palisades Fire Hydrants To Run Dry? Explainer

LOS ANGELES, CA — When fire hydrants ran dry during the colossal ignition of one of Los Angeles’ most devastating wildfires, finger-pointing and misinformation came faster than the flames swallowing several thousand acres earlier this month.

Water management and environmental policies headed up by Democratic leaders were among the first to take heat from then-President-elect Donald Trump for the devastation caused by the Palisades Fire.

However, fire and city officials have since confirmed that the failing hydrants were an infrastructure issue, not a state water supply issue, despite recent executive orders from President Donald Trump that suggest otherwise.

Within the first day of the fire, crews were also unable to attack the flames from the air due to winds that gusted 50 to 80 mph, leaving firefighters to scramble for resources on the ground. The driest start to the rainy season combined with a once-a-decade Santa Ana windstorm to create unprecedented circumstances.

According to the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, the cause of the dry hydrants during the fierce early hours of the Palisades Fire was traced back to nearby water tanks that help maintain enough pressure for water flow from hydrants in elevated areas.

Due to heavy use, crews weren't able to refill the tanks fast enough. That caused the water pressure to drop, so the water couldn't be pumped uphill to the hydrants.

LADWP’s explanation for the shortage comes down to three nearby water tanks, each with a storage capacity of about a million gallons. These tanks help maintain enough pressure for water to flow from fire hydrants in uphill areas — but the pressure had decreased due to heavy water use, and officials knew the tanks couldn’t keep up the drain forever, LAist reported.

“I want to make sure that you understand there's water on the trunk line, it just cannot get up the hill because we cannot fill the tanks fast enough,” LADWP CEO Janisse Quiñones said at a news conference.

Quiñones said that 3 million gallons of water were available when the Palisades fire started, but demand was four times greater than ever seen. Hydrants are designed for fighting fires at one or two houses at a time, not hundreds, Quiñones said, and refilling the tanks also requires asking fire departments to pause firefighting.

According to Mayor Karen Bass, 20% of hydrants went dry.

State and local officials and experts said critics were connecting unrelated issues and spreading false information. State water distribution choices were not behind the hydrant problems, they said, nor was a lack of overall supply in the region.

Still, the president and state officials continue to spar over the issue.

On Monday, Trump took to Truth Social seeming to imply the military entered California to force water policy changes on the state.

"The United States Military just entered the state of California and, under Emergency Powers, TURNED ON THE WATER flowing abundantly from the Pacific Northwest, and beyond," he posted. "The days of putting a Fake Environmental Argument, over the PEOPLE, are OVER. Enjoy the water, California!!!"

The California Department of Water Resources denied this claim on X Tuesday morning, noting the "The military did not enter California."

The Associated Press and Patch Staffer Paige Austin contributed to this report.