Why fire hydrants ran dry as wildfires tore through Los Angeles

President-elect Donald Trump accused California Gov. Gavin Newsom of depriving the region of much-needed water.

In Pacific Palisades , hydrants failed after three tanks each holding a million gallons of water went dry within a span of 12 hours .

Experts in urban water supply said the hydrant ran dry because of a host of factors, including spiking demand.

Los Angeles -area city leaders, veteran firefighters and water system experts said that the metropolis is not equipped to fight the urban wildfires.

The Palisades Fire erupted on Tuesday , water demand quadrupled in the area, lowering the pressure required to refill the three local storage tanks.

By 4:45 p.m. , the first of the three tanks ran out of water, DWP ’s chief executive and chief engineer said.

The problem boils down to an urban water system that is not equipped to handle brush fires that once were seasonal and now burn across much of the state year round.

High winds also posed a challenge because firefighters couldn’t rely on water dropped by air.

“No engines, no resources, no nothing. No hydrants to be found.” The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power has sent seven 4,000-gallon water tender trucks to the Pacific Palisades area and a dozen smaller water trucks.