California Governor Gavin Newsom ordered an independent investigation on Friday (January 10) regarding the water shortage issue encountered by the Los Angeles Fire Department during firefighting efforts this week.
Newsom announced on Friday afternoon on the social media platform X, stating that he is requesting an investigation into the water shortage issue faced during the Los Angeles fires.
“We need answers to ensure that this situation will not occur again, and to ensure that we have all available resources to extinguish these catastrophic fires,” he wrote in the post.
Newsom attached a letter he wrote to Janisse Quiñones, CEO and Chief Engineer of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP), and Mark Pestrella, Director of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works. In the letter, he expressed concerns about reports of dry fire hydrants and reservoirs not supplying water, saying they have left him and the community deeply unsettled.
Newsom stated that he has instructed state water and fire officials to prepare an independent after-action report to investigate the reasons why the municipal water supply system failed to provide water during the fire incident, and to identify measures that local governments can take to ensure an adequate water supply for emergency actions in future catastrophic events.
During this week’s Los Angeles fire incident, Newsom and other California state officials as well as local officials have faced criticism and scrutiny for their preparedness and response to the fires. Earlier this week, President-elect Trump called for Newsom to resign.
Newsom pushed back against these accusations and denied any related responsibility.
The wildfire has already claimed at least ten lives and destroyed over ten thousand structures. More than three hundred thousand residents have been evacuated from the area or have received fire warnings.