January 11th 2025.
As the flames in Southern California continued to rage on Friday, causing widespread destruction and devastation, questions began to arise about how this level of destruction could have been prevented. Could this be the new normal in an era of climate-related disasters, or could some measures have been taken to minimize the impact?
After reviewing government reports and speaking with experts, it seems that the answer is a combination of both. The combination of strong winds, dry conditions, and multiple fires breaking out in the same region made it nearly impossible to prevent the widespread destruction. However, there are steps that humans could have taken to potentially lessen the impact of these calamities.
Inconsistent vegetation management, aging infrastructure and homes, and a lack of planning likely contributed to the severity of the fires. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has promised a full investigation into what could have been done differently. She assures the public that they will evaluate what worked and what didn't, and hold anyone accountable if necessary.
One key factor in fighting fires is water supply. As the high winds stoked the flames, firefighters were unable to access enough water due to a loss of hydrant pressure. Even if the hydrants had been functioning properly, they would not have been enough to battle the magnitude of these fires without the help of air resources, such as helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft. However, fully functional hydrants could have helped to minimize some of the damage, potentially saving a house here and there.
In the Pacific Palisades, where the demand for water was four times the normal amount, the dry hydrants were due to unprecedented usage in a system that was not designed for fighting wildfires. This is an unprecedented event and is certain to be a focus of the investigation into what could have been done differently. In Altadena, where the Eaton Fire broke out, a lack of electricity caused problems with the water supply. Without power, there was no way to pump water to where it was desperately needed.
While the Los Angeles area has experienced large wildfires in the past, fire officials have been warning about the increasing risk of disaster due to climate change. However, making major improvements requires political will and extensive financial resources, which has been lacking. Last month, budget cuts severely limited the department's capacity to prepare for and respond to large-scale emergencies. Despite additional funding being allocated, it was not enough to prevent the current situation.
At a press conference, Los Angeles City Fire Chief Kristin Crowley stated that the budget cuts would not have made a difference in the current situation. However, she also expressed that her department has been screaming for proper funding and that they could have been in a better position to prevent some of the damage if their requests had been granted. The county has also been facing a critical shortage of additional inmate firefighters, further exacerbating the situation.
As the fires continue to rage, it has become apparent that there are not enough firefighters in Los Angeles County to handle the multiple, enormous blazes spreading quickly across wide areas. As the Federal Emergency Management Agency has rated Los Angeles County as the most susceptible to natural disasters, it is clear that more needs to be done to create climate-ready communities and infrastructure.
In the face of these disasters, residents also have a role to play in mitigating the damage. Experts stress the importance of consistent vegetation management, keeping homes and infrastructure up to date, and having a solid evacuation plan in place. As climate change continues to bring about more frequent and severe disasters, it is crucial that both humans and nature work together to minimize the impact and protect our communities.
As the flames raged on in Southern California, Friday brought with it a sobering question: could this level of destruction have been prevented, or is it simply the new norm in an era of climate-related disasters? A thorough investigation by CNN, including government reports and interviews with experts, reveals that the answer is a combination of both.
Officials in Los Angeles have described the fires as a "perfect storm" event, where fierce winds reaching up to 160km/h made it impossible to deploy crucial aircraft that could have helped contain the fires in the early stages. The experts interviewed by CNN agree that the combination of these powerful winds, dry conditions, and multiple fires breaking out in the same area made it inevitable that the devastation would be widespread.
However, there were steps that humans could have taken to potentially lessen the impact of this natural disaster. Inconsistent vegetation management, aging infrastructure and homes, and a lack of planning likely contributed to the fires, which have already destroyed thousands of structures and claimed many lives. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has promised a thorough investigation into what went wrong. She assured the public that they will evaluate what worked and what didn't, and hold accountable anyone or any department that may have contributed to the disaster.
One key aspect that will surely be looked at in the investigation is the availability of water, a crucial resource in fighting fires. As the winds continued to fan the flames on Wednesday morning, firefighters were heard on radio broadcasts expressing their concern over the loss of hydrant pressure. Even if the hydrants had been functioning properly, experts believe they would not have been enough to contain the magnitude of these fires without the aid of air resources such as helicopters and aircraft, which were unable to fly due to the winds.
Greg Pierce, a water-resource expert from UCLA, stated that no water system in the world could have been fully prepared for this type of event. However, having fully functional hydrants could have helped mitigate some of the damage, potentially saving homes and stopping the spread of embers. In the Pacific Palisades area, where water flow is already reduced due to smaller pipes, the high demand for water from firefighters caused the storage tanks to run dry, further decreasing the pressure in the fire hydrants. Janisse Quiñones, CEO and chief engineer of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, stated that 20% of the hydrants used to fight the Palisades fire ran dry on Wednesday. She stressed that fighting a wildfire with an urban water system is incredibly challenging, and this was an unprecedented event.
Another issue that hampered firefighting efforts was the fact that a nearby reservoir was under repair and empty at the time of the fires. This was reported by the Los Angeles Times on Friday and prompted California Governor Gavin Newsom to call for an independent investigation into the problems with the water supply for firefighters. In a letter addressed to Los Angeles County Public Works Director Mark Pestrella and Quiñones, Newsom expressed his concern over the loss of water pressure to some fire hydrants and the unavailability of water supplies from the Santa Ynez Reservoir. He demanded answers to ensure that this does not happen again and that all resources are available to fight these catastrophic fires.
In Altadena, where another fire broke out on Tuesday evening, the dry hydrants were also a result of a lack of electricity. Bob Gomperz, a board member at a Southern California water supplier, explained that in foothill communities like Altadena, the water system relies on gravity. However, once the tanks were drained by firefighters and homeowners, the power outage prevented the water from being pumped back up to the tanks, leaving them dry. Gomperz stated that it was a Catch-22 situation.
The issue of proper funding for firefighting efforts has also been brought to light by this disaster. While the Los Angeles area is no stranger to large wildfires, fire officials have been warning about their ability to handle the increased risk of disasters due to climate change. Los Angeles City Fire Chief Kristin Crowley has repeatedly stated that she does not have the resources necessary to combat these fires. In a memo to Mayor Bass last month, Crowley expressed concern over budget cuts that have limited the department's capacity to prepare for and respond to large-scale emergencies. These cuts have also affected the department's ability to complete required brush clearance inspections, which are crucial for mitigating fire risks. Mayor Bass has defended the budget cuts, stating that they would not have made a difference in the current situation. However, she did announce that additional funding had been allocated and would be distributed later on.
In an interview on Friday, Crowley stated that the city had failed her department and that they would have been in a better position to prevent some of the damage if her requests for additional resources had been granted. She stressed that they are in desperate need of proper funding. She had also expressed concern in a 2023 memo, stating that the department is facing a year-round fire season due to climate change and other factors. However, funding and staffing have not kept up with this increased risk, especially as the number of prison inmates available to work alongside firefighters has decreased due to state prison reforms.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has rated Los Angeles County as the most susceptible county in the United States to natural disasters, according to a recent progress report on a climate readiness initiative. Yet as the fires continued to spread, LA County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone acknowledged that they do not have enough firefighters to handle the multiple and rapidly spreading blazes throughout the city and county.
Experts agree that residents also have a role to play in mitigating the damage caused by fires. Proper management of vegetation and following fire prevention protocols can help decrease the risk of disasters like this. However, in the face of extreme climate conditions, all bets are off, and it is ultimately up to those in positions of power to ensure that the necessary resources and funding are available to protect communities from the devastating effects of wildfires.
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