Newsom calls for investigation into empty fire hydrants amid LA fires, invites Trump to California

Source: KTXL-TV Sacramento

California Governor Gavin Newsom is calling for an investigation into reports of fire hydrants being without water as crews battle to put out the devastating wildfires raging in Southern California.

On Tuesday, hurricane-force winds at nearly 100 miles per hour in Los Angeles fueled the Palisades Fire and several other wildfires. The fires devoured residential and commercial areas, burning through over 5,000 buildings and killing at least 11 people. So far, none of the fires have been fully contained and several reports attribute it to a lack of water and other obstacles.

“The ongoing reports of the loss of water pressure to some local fire hydrants during the fires and reported unavailability of water supplies from the Santa Ynez Reservoir are deeply troubling to the community,” Newsom said on Friday. “We need answers to how that happened. Therefore, I have directed state water and fire-fighting 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.

The request comes amid public confusion about the lack of preparedness from California leaders and a slew of finger-pointing at who is to blame for the catastrophe. On Friday, Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley told FOX11 that recent budget cuts hindered the department’s response to the fires. She criticized the City of Los Angeles’ December 2024 decision to cut more than $17 million in funding from LA Fire.

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