Wildfires in LA: Water Supply Issues, At Least Eleven Dead, Over 12,000 Structures Destroyed
The Palisades Fire in West Los Angeles has taken a new direction, the Los Angeles Times reported on Friday evening. Los Angeles authorities have raised the death toll in this week's series of wildfires to at least 11. More than 12,000 structures have been destroyed. More than 150,000 people remain under forced evacuation. Law enforcement sources said that many of the small fires are likely the result of arson.
Governor Gavin Newsom has called for an investigation into the water supply problems that are hindering firefighting. The state is currently investigating why the Pacific Palisades Reservoir was offline, empty, when the fire broke out. Officials said the Santa Ynez Reservoir was closed last year from around February to repair its lid, leaving the 117 million-gallon reservoir complex in the heart of the Palisades empty for nearly a year.
On Friday, as firefighters continued to battle the massive wildfires, Los Angeles Fire Chief Christine Crowley stunned many observers with an extraordinary television interview.
When pressed by a Fox 11 reporter, Crowley said that the city of Los Angeles - and by extension, her boss, Mayor Karen Bass - had failed her and her department. She went on to describe the fire department as understaffed and underfunded, saying the situation was ‘no longer sustainable’.
Meanwhile, firefighters say they have managed to bring the two largest fires east and west of Los Angeles under control.