‘We need answers to ensure this does not happen again and we have every resource available to fight these catastrophic fires,' Gavin Newsom says
California governor on Friday called for an independent investigation into the water shortages experienced during the ongoing wildfires in Los Angeles.
“We need answers to ensure this does not happen again and we have every resource available to fight these catastrophic fires,” Gavin Newsom said on X.
Newsom also directed state water and firefighting authorities to prepare a report investigating the causes of water source and pressure loss in municipal water systems during the fires.
The report will include recommendations on measures to prevent similar issues in the future.
He further asked the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power as well as city officials to conduct a comprehensive review of emergency water supply preparedness and response procedures.
The review should also document the reasons for the loss of water pressure and the unavailability of water sources.
Firefighters are still battling to control huge wildfires in Los Angeles that have devastated several areas across the second-largest city in the US.
At least six wildfires are still burning across Los Angeles County and 11 people have died, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
The fires have burned 36,000 acres by Friday, destroyed more than 12,000 structures and over 100,000 people are under evacuation order.
The largest inferno has burned 21,317 acres in and around the upscale Pacific Palisades neighborhood near the coast. Further inland, the Eaton Fire has burned 14,117 acres in the foothills in and around the city of Altadena, northeast of downtown Los Angeles.
The Palisade fire is 8% contained, while the Eaton fire remains at a low 3% amid strong winds that have fueled the inferno and sent burning hot embers shooting through the air.
Four other smaller fires – the Hurst, Lidia, Archer, and Kenneth fires – are also burning in the LA area.
