According to a report by the New York Times, firefighters in Pacific Palisades encountered aging hydrants with limited water flow as they attempted to contain a fire that ultimately destroyed thousands of homes and resulted in 12 fatalities.
Many of the hydrants in the area featured only a single 2.5-inch outlet, which the American Water Works Association states is not suitable for standard fire protection.
Modern hydrants typically have a 4-inch outlet in addition to secondary connections, allowing for greater water flow.
The New York Times analysis found that 24% of hydrants within the fire’s perimeter in Pacific Palisades had only the smaller outlet.
The overall percentage of such hydrants in Los Angeles is 17%.
In areas identified as having a high fire risk, hydrants with a single small outlet are twice as common as in lower-risk neighborhoods.
It is unclear whether modern hydrants would have significantly slowed the fire’s spread, but firefighting experts acknowledge that water volume is critical in early suppression efforts.
Michael Fronimos, a Michigan fire chief who advocates for hydrant system assessments, noted that hydrants with larger outlets allow for faster water access.
“I’d rather have too much coming in than not enough,” he said.
Modern hydrants allow for the attachment of more hoses, provide redundancy if an outlet fails, and enable faster access for pumper trucks.
Some of the hydrants in Los Angeles were installed decades ago, with certain models dating back to the 1940s.
Marty Adams, former general manager of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, explained that the older hydrants were initially installed in areas with high-pressure water systems, where traditional hydrants might have struggled to withstand the force.
However, modern hydrants can be rated for pressures up to 300 PSI.
Beyond the design of the hydrants, the Pacific Palisades fire response was further complicated by a loss of water supply as the fire intensified.
According to the New York Times, hours into the firefight, storage tanks supplying hydrants in the upper Palisades were depleted.
The Santa Ynez Reservoir, which normally replenishes the tanks, had been emptied for maintenance prior to the fire.
Adam VanGerpen, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles Fire Department, stated that while 2.5-inch hydrants have not typically been a major issue for firefighters, the availability of water remains the greater concern.
“Crews can often tap more than one hydrant,” he said, emphasizing that water supply is a more significant factor than hydrant design.
Some California cities have already begun replacing outdated hydrants.
Santa Maria is in the process of removing approximately 20 remaining single-outlet hydrants, with the transition costing around $200,000.
Fire protection experts believe that reviews of the Pacific Palisades fire will likely extend beyond hydrant design to broader water access issues.
Venkatesh Kodur, director of the Center for Structural Fire Engineering and Diagnostics at Michigan State University, noted that early suppression efforts are critical in preventing wildfires from spreading rapidly.
“Fires grow exponentially, so it is vital for crews to be able to combat a blaze as much as possible in the first 30 minutes,” he said.
Former Cal Fire deputy chief Rick Swan acknowledged the benefits of upgrading hydrants but pointed out that replacing older infrastructure is a costly undertaking.
A report by the New York Times found that 24% of hydrants within the Pacific Palisades fire perimeter had only a single 2.5-inch outlet, limiting water access for firefighters.
Across Los Angeles, 17% of hydrants share this outdated design.
Firefighting experts noted that larger hydrant outlets provide more water volume, which is critical in the early stages of suppression.
Some hydrants in high-pressure zones were originally installed decades ago with smaller outlets, though modern hydrants are now designed to handle higher pressures.
Firefighters also encountered a separate issue when storage tanks supplying hydrants in the upper Palisades ran dry during the fire.
The city later confirmed that the Santa Ynez Reservoir had been emptied for maintenance before the fire began.
Some California cities, including Santa Maria, have started replacing outdated hydrants, though costs remain a factor.
Fire experts expect the Pacific Palisades fire review to examine hydrant infrastructure alongside broader concerns over water availability in urban wildfire response.
