Water experts dismissed Trump’s claims that California water policy is to blame for dry hydrants. But Los Angeles is also unprepared for the age of urban wildfires.

Other fires, like the 2023 Maui fires and the 2017 Tubbs Fire in Northern California, have caused hydrants to go dry in the past, and it seems L.A. will need to go back to the drawing board if these kinds of wildfire-scale urban blazes become the new normal.

Gov. Gavin Newsom has ordered an independent investigation into how the loss of water left dry fire hydrants and hindered firefighting efforts in Los Angeles.

As wildfires roar into residential neighborhoods, firefighters in California and elsewhere are finding that water systems can’t keep up with the demand.

Reports of fire hydrants running dry as crews battled the Palisades Fire has raised questions among residents and fire officials in San Diego County whether it is something that could happen here when the region gets next major wildfire — and what can be done about it.

The Palisades Fire, which has destroyed an estimated 1,000 structures, was first reported at around 10:30 a.m. on Jan. 7 in the 1100 block of North Piedra Morada Drive.

Indeed, as wildfires become increasingly common in urban areas such as Boulder, Colorado and Lahaina, Hawaii, public water systems are often unable to meet the demand of fighting these large fires. Human-caused climate change is making it worse, experts say.

We had tremendous demand on our systems in the Palisades,” Quiñones said. “We pushed the system to the extreme. Four times the normal demand was seen for 15 hours straight.”