Why did fire hydrants run dry across Los Angeles? - Critics have erroneously blamed California environmental policies and empty reservoirs for lack of water

Some Los Angeles fire hydrants ran dry in recent days as demand soared for water to quell fast-moving wildfires.

Firefighters in Pacific Palisades and Altadena have repeatedly been hampered by low water pressure and dry hydrants, revealing limitations in local water systems designed to supply neighborhoods.

Though wildfires have always happened, warming global temperatures are making them more frequent and severe. For instance, scientists calculated last year that our overheating planet has contributed to a 172% increase in areas burned by wildfires in California since the 1970s.

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.”