Amid growing calls for accountability for government failures on California's wildfires, Gov. Gavin Newsom called for an independent investigation into one of the worst reports.
Newsom issued a statement Friday afternoon as wildfires continue to spread, destroying lives and livelihoods.
“We need answers to prevent something like this from happening again.”
“I call for an independent investigation into the reported loss of water pressure to local fire hydrants and the unavailability of water supplies from the Santa Ynez Reservoir.” said Newsom on social media. “We need answers to prevent something like this from happening again, and we have every resource available to fight these devastating fires.”
Some firefighters reported losing water pressure at hydrants while trying to save lives and homes. Local authorities have been criticized by residents and others for the government's lack of response to natural disasters.
“I requested the state water and fire authorities to prepare an independent post-incident report that investigated the cause of the loss of water supply and water pressure in the municipal water system during the fire and to ensure that adequate water supply was provided. to identify measures that local governments can implement for emergency response in the event of a future catastrophe,” Newsom wrote.
As of Friday, officials said said The fire killed more than 10 people, forced the evacuation of at least 180,000 people, and destroyed about 10,000 homes and businesses. The Palisades Fire, the largest of the wildfires, was only 8% contained.
Democratic Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass was criticized for traveling to Ghana at the exact moment the fire broke out, even though she had warned residents about a potentially life-threatening natural disaster. .
Another Democrat, Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington state, was criticized for trying to blame corporations for wildfires caused by global warming.
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