The City of Los Angeles has a 48-page booklet “Brush Fire” Hazard Specific Annex. The booklet goes into detail about the city emergency operations plan if there is a brush fire.
It starts with an explanation of brush fires.
“Due to the topography, climate, and fuel sources of Southern California, the City of Los Angeles is susceptible to potentially devastating brush fires,” it states . . . . “Because of the steep terrain and the tendency for brush fires to burn rapidly uphill, the potential is great for a small fire to increase in size quickly.
“Historically, drought conditions, low humidity and high winds have contributed to the ignition and rapid propagation of brush fires.”
The purpose of the booklet was stated, “This Annex details government’s responsibilities for managed and communicated response.”
The booklet also noted that “The City of Los Angeles recognizes that disasters may exhaust local resources.”
Water supply was addressed on p. 21.
“Water supply for firefighting purposes may be inadequate or nonexistent. Consider alternate methods and sources of water. Standing water sources such as reservoirs, lakes and swimming pools will be utilized and water supply lines will be established using standard firefighting supply hose or plastic piping in the form of Swimming Pool Augmented Water Supply (SPAWS).”
Then the emergency booklet addressed what to do if the water system should fail:
- Cause notification of Department of Water and Power and the Construction Services Hydrant Access Unit.
- Consider a surface relay of water from an adjoining hydrantzone.
- Local water storage facilities, reservoirs, swimming pools, tanks, etc., may provide a source of firefighting water.
- Standing water sources such as reservoirs, lakes and swimming pools will be utilized and water supply lines will be established using standard firefighting supply hose or plastic piping in the form of Swimming Pool Augmented Water Supply (SPAWS).
- Reserve hose in storage at fire stations and Supply and Maintenance.
- Five-mile length of 6-inch portable water main is stored locally by OES. An additional ten-mile length is stored outside of the area (5- 6 hours away).
- Large volume water tenders are available through our Department and other agencies.
- Consider helicopter for water drops and filling of portable 1,000- gallon tanks.
It should provide comfort to residents to know the City has a detailed emergency operations plan, even if it is not used. click here.
Wait…did I just read that this booklet recommends using reservoirs as a source of water to fight wildfires??? Huh…..both Palisades reservoirs were empty….that’s weird and we were told only “certain reservoirs” are to be used? ?? That’s not what the booklet says;
“Local water storage facilities, RESERVOIRS, swimming pools, tanks, etc., may provide a source of firefighting water.
Standing water sources such as RESERVOIRS, lakes and swimming pools will be utilized and water supply lines will be established using standard firefighting supply hose or plastic piping in the form of Swimming Pool Augmented Water Supply (SPAWS).”
Btw – the booklet is dated March 2018 and it recommends using reservoirs as a source for water during wildfires
I have recommended to Councilwoman Park, as well as during a meeting of the Palisades Recovery Group organization, that the City of Los Angeles adopt a straightforward protocol: whenever street address numbers are painted on curbs, a four-inch round blue or black dot should be added to the right of the number on properties that have a pool or hot tub. This marking would serve to alert firefighters and first responders to the presence of a potential water source that could be utilized with a portable pump in the event of an emergency. Implementation of this protocol could be seamlessly integrated into the City’s existing schedule for curb address repainting.
Dated 2018–wondering if the DWP head had a chance to read it during her first year on the job before the fires.
Another example of how LAFD isn’t staffed with hero’s it is filled with COWARDS. To sit in the Will Rogers state beach parking lot for days with all that hose, all those water tenders, the apparatus to pump and spray water, and the best training and PPE money could by while in sight of homes burning from spot fires is nothing short of cowardice.
Have you ever noticed that there is a blue reflector embedded in the street next to a hydrant, so that firemen can spot the location from a block away? Perhaps we should encourage the City to start a program to install green reflectors in front of homes with a swimming pool that can be used as a water source?
Firefighters apparently sat in front of our property while it burned overnight on 1/8. We have a 20×40 pool with over 33k gallons. Our neighbor used that water in buckets throughout the night to save his house. When he told the firefighters about all the water they informed him that they don’t carry pumps for pool water. WHAT?? This is the Fire Department. They’re responsible for extinguishing fires!! Of course we know now that they were ordered to stand down…
We chased down a fire truck on the morning of 1/9. The detached garage across the street caught fire. The fire fighters squirted water for about 5 minutes, their truck ran out of water, they left. The garage burned for hours. We had 3 pools in a row on our side, and the detached garage home had one as well. I heard all fire trucks are equipped with a pump to siphon pool water and pump it for firefighting. Is this fact? If so, did anyone witness them use it?
I also saw huge water tankers, at least 4-6 of them, lined up along PCH the morning of 1/8. Parked next to the ocean. Not the homes and businesses.
All County fire trucks are equipped with an eductor pump, which can be used for swimming pools. So, I thought, “Well maybe the City didn’t have that pump.” I asked at Station 69 and was told that city fire trucks have the pump, too.
Who was ever in charge of fighting this fire did not use the resources they had–and did not place trucks effectively.
When my home was burning on the 7th, there was a truck in the neighborhood on Haverford. It ran out of water and firefighters told the resident who was using a hose that they had to go back to the beach to fill up with water – and they never returned.
Sue