Wildfires Are Revealing the Limits of Our Hydrant Systems

Firefighters struggled to control the Palisades fire as it tore through neighborhoods in Pacific Palisades earlier this month.

Mark Abramson for The New York Times

By Mitch Smith, Eden Weingart and June Kim

Jan. 24, 2025

As firefighters scrambled to extinguish the wildfires consuming neighborhoods across Los Angeles County this month, they often found that the hydrants outside the burning houses were not much help.

It was hardly the first time in recent years that a wildfire had encroached on an American neighborhood, and hardly the first time that hydrants were unable to make a serious dent in stopping an unfolding disaster. In Colorado, Hawaii and other parts of California, hydrants have provided minimal relief as home after home has burned.

A combination of extreme conditions, poor planning and delayed evacuations contributed to the widespread devastation around Los Angeles. There were also specific limitations on the region’s network of fire hydrants, including a large reservoir that was offline for maintenance.

But in most cases, experts say, a working hydrant system would be inadequate for fighting a large-scale wildfire.