Yes, Some LA Fire Hydrants Ran Out of Water. That's Not the Whole Story, Though [View all]

Fire hydrants in Los Angeles ran out of water while firefighters were battling the January 2025 wildfires.
Rating:

True

Context
Los Angeles officials said on Jan. 8 that some fire hydrants in the Pacific Palisades area lost water supply due to high demand on the system from the Palisades fire. Water remained available to firefighters in this area by other means. Fire hydrants do not generally have the capacity to be used in large-scale firefighting, officials also said.

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Los Angeles officials addressed the claim during news conferences on Jan. 8. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) CEO Janisse Quiñones told reporters that 20% of fire hydrants in the Pacific Palisades area — around 200 out of 1,000 — lost water supply due to "tremendous" pressure on the system during firefighting efforts for the Palisades fire. Water remained available in the Pacific Palisades area, Bass said. Therefore, we rate this claim as true with the caveat that only a small number of fire hydrants were affected.

The LADWP said in an email on Jan. 9: "There is no lack of water flowing through our pipes or flowing to the Palisades area. Water remains available in Palisades, but is limited in areas at elevation, impacting fire hydrants."

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/palisades-fire-hydrants-ran-out-of-water/