As flames quickly engulfed neighborhoods in the Los Angeles County community of Pacific Palisades, the firefight was hampered by several major issues, including wind speeds and water pressure issues.
The extreme winds, expected to continue Wednesday into Thursday, were clocked as high as 60 mph, temporarily grounding firefighting aircraft as flames spread rapidly in the overnight hours. The water pressure issues, at one point and for several hours, impacted the ability to supply water to fire hydrants, officials acknowledged at Wednesday morning press conference.
Janisse Quinones, CEO and Chief Engineer for LA Department of Water and Power, said three large water tanks, about 1 million gallons each, were impacted.
“We ran out of water, and the first tank at about 4:45 p.m. yesterday,” Quinones said. “We ran out of water on the second tank about 8:30 p.m., and the third tank about 3 a.m. this morning.”
Quinones said the DWP was not able …