News that the Santa Ynez reservoir was empty and closed for repairs during the highly destructive Palisades Fire in January has led to a month-long state investigation ordered by Governor of California Gavin Newsom on whether or not use of the reservoir could have made a difference in combatting the flames.
The resulting report released by California agencies found that use of the reservoir could not have influenced the outcome of the wildfire, as the water flow rate would have been insufficient to keep fire hydrants working and even a full reservoir would not have been able to maintain the necessary water pressure for long. The report emphasized that the Santa Ynez reservoir is part of L.A.’s municipal water system whose primary purpose is not to fight wildfires, but rather to maintain a supply of clean drinking water.
Co-Executive Director of the UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation and Director of the Human Right to Water Solutions Lab Greg Pierce shared his views on the report with LAist. “This report confirms what we and others have been saying more broadly regarding water system expectations and capabilities, but does so completely independently and with new details specific to the L.A. fires.”
