Los Angeles-area firefighters claim they are running out of water as they battle the growing wildfires in the area.
“The hydrants are down,” one firefighter said over the radio, according to the Los Angeles Times.
“Water supply just dropped,” reported another one.
Former LA mayoral hopeful and billionaire developer Rick Caruso backed the claims made by the first responders as his staff reported to him from the Palisades Village in the Westside neighborhood.
“There’s no water in the fire hydrants,” Caruso told the outlet. “The firefighters are there and there’s nothing they can do — we’ve got neighborhoods burning, homes burning, and businesses burning. … It should never happen.”
Caruso also blasted local politicians, blaming them for the lack of water as Los Angeles County burned.
“Their hands have been tied,” Caruso told KTTV. “You can’t fight a fire without water and the resources that are needed.”
Caruso said the area was not prepared for the known devastating winds that have fueled the fires, leading to 4,000 acres (6.25 square miles) being burned, as the reservoirs supplying the water line were not refilled in a timely manner to keep the hydrants going.
“This isn’t high science here,” Caruso said. “It is all about leadership and management here that we’re seeing a failure of.”
