An Empty Reservoir, Dry Hydrants, and a Devastated Community When the Pacific Palisades firestorm erupted, firefighters quickly realized they had no water to fight it. The Santa Ynez Reservoir, a critical water source, sat completely empty—closed for “maintenance” since February 2024. Maintenance? For nearly a year? You can’t make this up. Officials knew the reservoir was down. They knew Santa Ana winds were creating dangerous fire conditions. Yet nothing was done. Nothing. And when the flames came, the consequences were catastrophic. On Tuesday, January 7, the fires began. By the next day, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (DWP) officials admitted their water tanks went dry three times. Three tanks, each holding a million gallons, drained because they had…
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