Transcript:
In January, devastating wildfires destroyed more than 10,000 homes in Los Angeles. Firefighters struggled to battle the blazes – and in some areas, fire hydrants ran dry.
Rumors and misinformation swirled online. Then president-elect Trump claimed that water was being withheld in northern California.
But Peter Gleick, cofounder of the nonprofit Pacific Institute, says that the L.A. region did not need more water.
Gleick: “There was plenty of water in reservoirs in Southern California. The reservoirs were actually relatively full for this time of year.”
But the fires were so large and powerful that the city’s water pipes, storage tanks, and fire hydrants could not keep up with the unprecedented needs of firefighters.
Gleick: “Urban water systems are simply not designed to fight massive wildfires. … The real challenge was simply the massive scope of the fire and the massive demand for water that overwhelmed the system.”
As the warming climate creates hotter, drier conditions, fires of this scale are likely to become more common. Meanwhile, water scarcity is getting worse in many areas.
So as California navigates these complex problems, Gleick says it’s important to recognize that misinformation can divert people from real solutions.
Reporting credit: Sarah Kennedy / ChavoBart Digital Media
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