Gov. Gavin Newsom has ordered an independent investigation into how the loss of water left dry fire hydrants and hindered firefighting efforts in Los Angeles.

Water experts dismissed Trump’s claims that California water policy is to blame for dry hydrants. But Los Angeles is also unprepared for the age of urban wildfires.

Other fires, like the 2023 Maui fires and the 2017 Tubbs Fire in Northern California, have caused hydrants to go dry in the past, and it seems L.A. will need to go back to the drawing board if these kinds of wildfire-scale urban blazes become the new normal.

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

Why did dozens of fire hydrants go dry as firefighters rushed to combat flames from spreading in the Los Angeles area? National investigative correspondent Patrick Terpstra explains.

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.”