The Biden administration's claim about empty hydrants being a cause of wildfires is challenged by the lack of common safety protocols from the Los Angeles water utility.

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) did not have a common safety procedure in place that would have allowed water to continue pumping to fire hydrants during an intentional power shutoff, according to President Biden. Republicans, including President-elect Trump, have blamed Democratic officials for the water shortage, which has hindered efforts to fight wildfires in Los Angeles County. However, Democrats have refuted these claims, and on Thursday, Biden suggested that the LADWP was responsible for shutting off power to pumps that supply hydrants.

"According to Biden, the governor has expressed concerns about a water shortage due to a power outage caused by utilities shutting off power lines. The power outage prevented the ability to generate water pumping, leading to a lack of water in hydrants."

Biden remarked that generators were being utilized after the shutdown to restore power to the pumps and prevent water shortages for firefighting efforts.

The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday that LADWP is the only major utility company in California without a "Public Safety Power Shut Off" procedure, which outlines plans for shutting down electricity lines during dangerous windstorms to minimize the impact on public safety.

"The company stated that they take extra measures to prevent water service disruptions during power outages. They have been installing permanent generators at critical stations and are currently bringing in portable generators for other stations. Their crews and employees have undergone training on emergency response procedures for dealing with widespread shutoffs."

Michael Wara, a lawyer at Stanford University who specializes in wildfire mitigation strategies, stated in a Journal interview that there is no need to compromise between reliability and safety.

LADWP has a different procedure in place to reduce fire risks while continuing vital functions in the absence of a public safety power shutoff protocol for Los Angeles. The spokesperson explained that Los Angeles's urban environment is different from the environments that other California utility companies serve.

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John Knox, a former Los Angeles firefighter, expressed surprise upon hearing that fire hydrants were dry, stating that there are many questions that need to be answered by leaders.

Knox stated that he had never witnessed us having a dry hydrant, but we conduct annual testing in January to ensure all fire hydrants are functioning properly. Unfortunately, this testing did not occur this year. The area has a massive reservoir with four large tanks that are supposed to be filled at all times. According to Knox, one of these tanks has been undergoing maintenance for a year during peak brush season.

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