As fires continue to burn in the second largest city in the United States, elected officials and officials are passing the buck.
The numerous fires raging in Los Angeles for the fourth day in a row have caused at least eleven deaths, but the wind which fanned the flames weakened on Friday January 10, while the authorities shifted responsibility. Although it is too early to know the origin of the fires, criticism has emerged regarding the preparation and response of elected officials and officials.
California Governor Gavin Newsom asked Friday “a comprehensive independent review” of the city’s water distribution services, while many firefighters complained of dry hydrants from the first hours of the disaster. Newsom described the lack of water supply and loss of pressure at fire hydrants in the first moments as “deeply disturbing”. “We need answers to find out what happened”he wrote in an open letter.
An empty water tank in the middle of the furnace
The Los Angeles Times revealed Friday that one of the largest water tanks in Pacific Palisades, a neighborhood that was devastated by the flames, was out of service and empty when the fire started, because it was awaiting maintenance. According to the local daily, the Santa Ynez reservoir had been closed for almost a year for repairs to its cover, leaving a water storage complex of some 443 million liters empty in the middle of the furnace.
-For her part, fire chief Kristin Crowley told Fox News affiliate KTTV that they were missing “always staff, resources and funds”. “I’ve been saying for three years that we need more help. The current situation cannot continue any longer”she insisted on Friday on CNN, regretting that her services were lacking “personnel, resources and funds”. “We have data that shows we need 62 additional fire stations, that there has been a 55 percent increase in call volume since 2010. And guess what? We are responding with fewer firefighters”she got annoyed.