City News

Learn About Water Supply and Resources During Fire Events

January 15, 2025, City News

In the wake of the catastrophic LA fires, Dave Bray, Division Chief of the Gold Ridge Fire Protection District, comments on the importance of prevention and preparedness and discusses water supply and resources during fire events. 

The Southern California fires are unprecedented and historic. Their operations, fire prevention strategies, and impacts will be analyzed extensively in the coming months. I expect that water supply systems will be a key focus of these studies. While I am not fully aware of the specific causes of the hydrant failures, I can only offer some general insights. Local, state, and federal agencies will conduct after-action reviews to detail both successes and shortcomings during the incident. The findings will be widely shared to enhance planning, prevention, and operational strategies nationwide.

Water and pressure are finite resources. Most water supply systems rely on wells, pumps, and gravity. Wells and pumps deliver water through pipes to storage tanks, often located at higher elevations. These tanks help manage daily fluctuations in demand by replenishing through the wells and pumps. In large-scale fires, however, critical utilities can be compromised. For instance, electricity powering the wells may be disrupted, halting the replenishment of storage tanks. Additionally, as buildings are destroyed, water pipes may burn or break, leading to uncontrolled water flow. While a single building’s impact may not significantly affect the system, the destruction of thousands of structures causes widespread water loss and a significant drop in hydrant pressure. Once storage tanks are depleted, the water supply for firefighting efforts is exhausted, forcing firefighters to seek alternative sources such as neighboring jurisdictions, private wells, or retention ponds.

These extraordinary fires underscore the vital importance of fire prevention, comprehensive planning, reliable equipment, and adequate firefighting personnel. We are all committed to learning how to better prepare for such exceptional incidents. Our thoughts are with those who have lost loved ones and all who have been affected by these devastating events.