As calls for accountability for government failures over the California wildfires ring out, Gov. Gavin Newsom has called for an independent investigation into one of the worst reports.
Newsom issued the statement Friday afternoon as the wildfires continued to spread and destroy lives and livelihoods.
‘We need answers to ensure this does not happen again.’
“I am calling for an independent investigation into the loss of water pressure to local fire hydrants and the reported unavailability of water supplies from the Santa Ynez Reservoir,” said Newsom on social media. “We need answers to ensure this does not happen again and we have every resource available to fight these catastrophic fires.”
Some firefighters reported that hydrants had low water pressure while they were trying to save lives and houses. Local officials have been lambasted by residents and others for the lack of government response to the natural disaster.
“I have directed state water and firefighting officials to prepare an independent after-incident report examining the causes of lost water supply and water pressure in municipal water systems during the fire events, and to identify measures that local governments can implement to provide adequate water supply for emergency response during future catastrophic events,” wrote Newsom.
As of Friday, officials said more than 10 people had died from the fires, at least 180,000 were forced to evacuate, and approximately 10,000 homes and businesses had been destroyed. The Palisades fire, the largest of the wildfires, was only 8% contained.
Democratic Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass was excoriated for going on a trip to Ghana just as the fires kicked off despite having warned residents about the potentially life-threatening natural disaster.
Another Democrat, Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington state, was lambasted for trying to blame corporations for the wildfires because of global warming.
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