Why Did Fire Hydrants Run Dry in Los Angeles During California Wildfires 2025?

Water experts have come out to set the records straight and provide a better overall picture of what happened in the recent California wildfires. Understanding the full scope of what happened is critical for everyone. For one, it will help California create policies that best protect the state from future wildfires. For another, it will help current wildfire victims better understand their potential legal options for recovery.

Below, we’ll provide an overview of the full scope of the 2025 California wildfires and how dry fire hydrants played a role in the escalation of the fires. We’ll also provide you with more information about how our team here at Kermani LLP can help you identify your legal options and potentially file a claim for compensation to help aid your recovery.

The Scope of the 2025 Wildfires in Los Angeles

So far, the wildfires that have burned through LA County and California state in 2025 have been some of the most expensive fires in history. Within 25 days, the fires have already destroyed over 10,000 homes, killed 24 people, and displaced tens of thousands.

The property damage is expected to be quite substantial, and experts are already predicting that the cleanup will be a long, expensive process.

Understanding the Failure of Fire Hydrants

One of the biggest problems that contributed to the extremity of these recent fires is that fire hydrants were running dry so much that fire departments had to stop relying on the hydrants altogether in most areas.

Municipal water systems are typically set up to allow firefighters to get a steady flow of water by tapping into multiple hydrants at once, but they aren’t really meant to combat massive fires. When all those hydrants are simultaneously being used, it causes a sudden loss of water. The systems in LA, while designed to handle heavier loads than a standard water system, still weren’t equipped enough to combat the massive size and severity of these fires.

During the Palisades fires, the system was pushed to the extreme as it saw four times the normal demand for water for 15 hours straight. Emergency water supply sources were quickly exhausted, and tanks weren’t being refilled fast enough. This left many firefighters needing to go out in search of other water supplies before returning back to the fires.

Many experts allege that the water shortages were a direct result of the intensity of the fires, as the system simply isn’t designed to be able to sustain such a large and intense wildfire. Some, however, are blaming the state’s water policy for the shortages, and they’re adamant about becoming more focused on boosting local water supplies in the future.

Challenges Faced by Firefighters During the Crisis

Dry fire hydrants proved to be only one of the many challenges that firefighters faced throughout the crisis. Unfortunately, firefighters also had to battle high-wind fire conditions that fueled the flames to grow even larger. These strong Santa Ana winds reportedly reached up to 100 mph in what some called an apocalyptic force.

Another challenge that quickly emerged was that several fires started to break out in different locations, making it even more difficult to fight the flames.

Unfortunately, while attempting to navigate all these additional challenges, firefighters faced serious roadblocks in the form of hundreds of abandoned cars. Reports suggest that over 200 cars had to be pushed aside with bulldozers in order to fight the Palisades fires effectively.

Another serious problem is that there are not enough firefighters employed to fight all the fires in the region at the same time. Local firefighting is close to the maximum, so outside help is often necessary in these types of extreme events. By the end of January, all 29 LA county fire departments had no additional personnel to spare despite asking all off-duty crews to report for the first time in over 19 years.

The Role of Infrastructure in Hydrant Failures

Unfortunately, there’s no clear answer yet as to what caused the widespread hydrant failures, but an investigation is ongoing. Many are attributing the issue to high water demand, aging infrastructure, and overall infrastructure underfunding over the past several years.

Right now, we know that three main tanks, each with a capacity of about one million gallons, supplied water to the hydrants nearby the fires. The tanks provide enough pressure for water to travel to the uphill neighborhoods, but the extremely high water use and demand caused the tanks to lose pressure to keep the system going. Demand continued until water levels were so depleted that they couldn’t be refilled fast enough. All three tanks had been completely depleted within a few days.

According to firefighters, the only solution to this problem would be for the city to have much larger water reserves physically on hand near the impacted areas.

Possible Solutions for Future Wildfire Preparedness

In other types of similar wildfire scenarios, firefighters would also rely on firefighting aircraft to help combat the blaze. These efforts would help reduce the strain on the water storage tanks. Unfortunately, the high winds prevented air support from being effective for much of the duration of the fires.

Climate change and wildfires are interlinked, so California residents need to continue to prepare for future wildfires to be just as extreme and severe as this recent one. That said, it’s critical that we come up with solutions to help boost firefighting efforts in the future. A few possible solutions to implement include:

• Building up fire-resistant infrastructure.
• Improving mitigation efforts (Controlled burns, removing debris).
• Focusing more on community education and preparedness.

Potential Liability: Failed Fire Hydrants

Legal liability arises when one party has a legal duty to provide for the safety and care of someone else, they fail to do so, and that failure causes the other party to get hurt or suffer losses. In these recent California wildfires, the question of legal liability is already under intense scrutiny.

According to reports, officials in LA were warned about the failing water system before the Palisades fire caused hydrants to run dry. Unfortunately, L.A. County and its officials reportedly missed several opportunities to improve the water infrastructure prior to the fire.

All that said, some Los Angeles residents have taken action against the city of Los Angeles and the municipal water department for the water issues that led to their losses.

Identifying Your Legal Options

Did you recently suffer property damage or a personal injury in the California wildfires? If so, then you might have legal recourse, too. To learn more about your legal options, you’ll want to speak with local California wildfire lawyers who can go over the specific facts and details surrounding your case.

Currently, an independent investigation into the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power is ongoing.

How Our Team Here at Kermani LLP Can Help You with Your California Wildfire Claim

If you’ve recently been hurt, lost property, or suffered other losses as a result of the California wildfires, then it’s a great idea to consult with an attorney about what happened. The right wildfire lawyer will go over all the facts of your situation to learn more about the extent of your losses. Then, they’ll help you identify all your potential options for recovery.

Our team here at Kermani LLP can help you determine your best option for financial relief. We’ll help you review all your current insurance policies, investigate other potentially negligent parties, and work with you to collect all the evidence and documentation you’ll need to take the next steps.

We understand how distressing it is to suddenly lose your property and way of life, so you can rest assured knowing that we’ll work tirelessly to secure justice in your situation. Schedule a free consultation call with our office now to get started on your case.