What Is Known About Hydrants Running Dry

When fire hydrants ran dry during the Pacific Palisades fire, it sparked a wave of anger and even misinformation. 

Dry fire hydrants in LA aren't typically a concern, but last week's wildfires have highlighted issues with the city's water supply infrastructure. During the Pacific Palisades fires, multiple hydrants ran dry due to extremely high water demand and local infrastructure problems.

Normally, fire hydrants in LA are part of the municipal water system, which is designed to meet daily needs like showers and gardening. However, these systems aren't equipped to handle the massive water demand required to fight large-scale wildfires.

Here’s how L.A.’s water system works and what we know about why the hydrants ran out.

In areas where traditional hydrants aren't feasible, dry hydrants can be used as an alternative. Dry hydrants are non-pressurized pipes that draw water from nearby sources like lakes, ponds, or streams ⁴. However, it appears that dry hydrants aren't commonly used in LA, and the focus is on addressing the infrastructure issues that led to the recent hydrant failures.