Amid scrutiny for how the city of Los Angeles and its agencies handled the response to the Palisades Fire, new reports indicate that repairs to fire hydrants could have been made before the blaze erupted.
According to a report from the Los Angeles Times, the Los Angeles Fire Department failed to immediately alert the city’s Department of Water and Power that more than 1,000 fire hydrants needed repairs. LAFD reported the findings of its inspections in mid-February, despite the fact that they were performed months earlier.
The inspections were performed well before the Palisades Fire, which torched tens of thousands of acres of L.A. and destroyed thousands of structures, broke out on Jan. 7.
Despite the timing of the inspections, the DWP wasn’t alerted to the findings until a KCBS-TV report revealed on Feb. 12 that 1,350 fire hydrants needed repairs.
The findings come as water problems persisted during the battle against the blaze. The morning after the Palisades Fire started, Chief Executive and Chief Engineer of the DWP Janisse Quiñones said all one-million-gallon water storage tanks that supply the Palisades hydrants “went dry.”
It’s not clear if problems were as a result of the damaged hydrants.
Last month, spats over the responsibility for the problematic Palisades Fire response culminated with L.A. Mayor Karen Bass firing LAFD Chief Kristin Crowley. In public statements, Bass cited Crowley’s refusal to do an after action report on the fires, among other issues.
Crowley announced her intention to appeal her firing on Thursday. To gain reinstatmenet, she would need the approval from 10 of the 15 of the L.A. City Councilmembers.
Crowley’s appeal hearing is set for 10 a.m. on Tuesday at Van Nuys City Hall.
