As massive fires continue to ravage Los Angeles, firefighters are relying on local water infrastructure that was not designed for fires of this size, researchers say. California fires Becoming more explosive due to climate changewhich is driven primarily by humans burning oil, gas and coal.

However, prominent right-wing influencers and politicians, including President-elect Donald Trumpwrongly attributed the devastation of the fires to the city not having enough water to put out the blazes. Some online commentators incorrectly stated that the water needed to extinguish the fire was actually used to extinguish the fire. Pistachio Tycoon. Others falsely claim There is a "no pumping" It's "part of the plan"globalist elite"Turning burned land into open-air prison. California Governor Gavin Newsom made a A page that fact-checks false wildfire narrativesmost of which are related to water.

"We're dodging the issue," said Stephanie PinstelDirector of the California Center for Sustainable Communities at UCLA. "We really don't have a shortage of water. The infrastructure we have is not designed to put out catastrophic fires, fires of biblical proportions."

A reservoir in the Palisades is empty its cover is being repaired. The water system used to fight the Palisades and Eaton fires was unable to maintain the sustained high water pressure needed, meaning water stopped flowing in some fire hydrants. Newsom has request an investigation.

But water and climate experts say they won't allow firefighters to change the course of massive wildfires, even if the Palisades reservoirs are full and hydrants are working. hurricane force winds Experts say this intensified the fires and meant planes and helicopters were unable to fly and drop water in the first few days.

These municipal water systems are designed for residential and commercial needs as well as routine fires and are in many ways incapable of firefighting without air support, said Josh Raponeis a climate researcher at the University of Notre Dame who studies Los Angeles’ infrastructure systems. "It's disingenuous to try to pretend that the system was set up for this disaster," he said.

Here's what you should know about water conditions and fires.

Does Los Angeles have enough water to put out the fires?

Los Angeles has enough water to put out fires, says Mark GoldDirector of Water Scarcity Solutions at the nonprofit Natural Resources Defense Council, also Los Angeles Metropolitan Water District Commissionfounded in 1928. “I can say with great authority that we have more water stored than at any time in the history of our agency,” he said.

Most local reservoirs in Los Angeles have plenty of water. While Los Angeles has received negligible rainfall over the past eight months, the previous two years have seen extreme rainfall.

"There was far more water stored locally than was needed to put out the fire," said Marty Adams, former general manager and chief engineer of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (DWP).

Some of the erroneous narratives surrounding the lack of firefighting water come from trump cardwho accused Newsom of failing to divert water from Northern California to Southern California. Gold said that was inaccurate and "irrelevant" to the circumstances of the Los Angeles fires.

There are some conspiracy theories Regarding the problem of insufficient fire water Centered on Stewart Resnick and Lynda Resnick, the billionaire owners of The Wonderful Company. The Resnick family, whose companies include Fiji Water and Pom Wonderful Pomegranate Juice, is the largest pistachio grower in the United States, primarily in California's Central Valley. online postswhich uses anti-semitic tropes and language, claim inaccurately Resnix”Secretly seize control of all water sources"In California.

Pinsetle said that while Team Resnick has Uses a lot of California watershe said their water use "is not germane to the issue of fighting wildfires."

"We have nothing to do with how the city of Los Angeles or any other city secures water for firefighting," said Seth OsterChief Corporate Affairs Officer fantastic company.

What happened to the reservoir near the Palisades?

A reservoir near Palisades, known as Santa Ynez Reservoir, is currently empty during the firefight because The reservoir cover is being repaired.

Michael Wara, director of Stanford University's Climate and Energy Program who studies wildfires, said having the reservoirs operational could mean firefighters can save more buildings. "But are you going to save this community? Probably not."

Still, some speculate that the reservoirs are emptying for nefarious reasons.

Fox News, actor and director Mel Gibson Said: "I know they're messing with the water. For one reason or another, to have the (water) reserves disappear... In an incident like this, you look at it, is it intentional? It's a A crazy thing but one starts to wonder if there is a purpose.”

While this view is inaccurate, there is a growing theory that Los Angeles communities intentionally withheld water supply to increase burn areas. The false narrative claims that subsequent 15 minutes cityan urban planning concept where your main daily needs are walking, biking, or taking public transportation from your home. There is a popular conspiracy theory, This is also what happened in the Maui firesa group of global elites want to clear the land and use the 15-minute city as open-air prisons where they can control people.

"This is misinformation," Joseph RamaloDWP's chief customer officer said in an email.

What happens to fire hydrants during fires?

Some fire hydrant Both the Palisades and Eaton fires were stopped within 24 hours of starting.

“We pushed the system to its extreme,” said DWP CEO and Chief Engineer Janisse Quiñones. At a press conference last Wednesday. "There was four times the normal demand for 15 hours straight, which reduced our water pressure."

Adams noted that most hydrants and water systems are designed for structure fires in individual homes, apartment buildings or commercial buildings, not large wildfires. "No one can handle a fire like this," he said.

Gold said the main obstacle was high winds in the early stages of the fire that grounded planes, which could drop more water.

"There's no way to fight a wildfire of this scope and size without air support," Gold said. "We have two communities that are basically sitting ducks."

Why isn’t Los Angeles’ water infrastructure prepared for fires?

"No city in the United States or the world is equipped with the surface water infrastructure to completely extinguish a massive wildfire like this." Greg PierceDirector of the Water Resources Group at UCLA.

"Firefighting, especially in an environment like this, is not just about water. It's especially about aerial attacks," Pierce said. “Vegetation management, Hardened (Wildfire House) and firefighting capabilities.

"It's going to be a huge debate about how to rebuild the system and who's going to pay for it," Pierce said.