Firefighters in Los Angeles have depleted multiple million-gallon tanks essential for controlling the ongoing wildfires, leaving them struggling to suppress the dangerous flames, officials reported on Wednesday.

This revelation raises concerns among residents questioning how the fires—whose origins are still being investigated—spread so rapidly, resulting in significant destruction, including at least five fatalities and over 1,000 homes, businesses, and other structures lost.

“We faced an overwhelming demand on our resources… we really tested the limits of our system,” stated Janisse Quiñones, CEO of the LA Department of Water and Power, during a Wednesday press briefing. “The key takeaway is that I need our customers to conserve water.”

Quiñones highlighted that Pacific Palisades, a neighborhood located west of downtown Los Angeles and at a higher elevation, experienced the worst water shortages.

Demand in the area surged to four times the usual levels for a continuous span of 15 hours, according to Quiñones, who also serves as chief engineer for the agency. The water supply in the neighborhood’s three million-gallon tanks ran out at 4:45 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, and then again at 3 a.m. on Wednesday.

Though authorities tried to refill the tanks, they couldn’t restore enough pressure quickly enough to deliver water to higher elevations, she noted.

Evacuated resident questions: ‘Where was the water?’

While firefighters struggled with empty hoses, nearby homes were engulfed in flames.

Osbee Sangster, a 73-year-old evacuee, left her Los Angeles-area house at 3:30 a.m. on Wednesday. As she watched fire trucks pass through her neighborhood ordering evacuations, she noticed a significant lack of water.

“Where was the water?” she asked the YSL News Network from the Pasadena Convention Center, where approximately 700 evacuees—including pets—had gathered.

Sangster fears her home is likely reduced to ashes, though she cannot verify the damage yet.

Bowen Xie, a representative from the water management agency, explained that all 114 municipal water storage tanks had been filled before the fires broke out. In response to the shortages, the agency dispatched trucks carrying 4,000 gallons of water to assist firefighters struggling with hydrant access.

Bowen detailed that they sent out seven trucks at midnight local time Wednesday, followed by another 11 trucks in the morning.

Pasadena City Fire Department Chief Chad Augustin admitted to the water pressure issues but suggested the overall impact was less severe.

<p”When multiple city blocks are burning… it stretches our water system,” he commented at a Wednesday briefing. “However, I want to be clear: despite having more water, those strong winds made it impossible to contain the fire.”

The situation regarding the water supply worsened due to power outages, he added.

‘We need to reevaluate our system’

Erik Scott, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles Fire Department, recognized the challenges concerning water supply.

“We faced difficulties with water pressure during the Pacific Palisades fire,” stated the fire captain on X. “The overwhelming demand led to slower refills for our tanks, hindering our firefighting operations.”

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass echoed the call for residents to save water.

“We want to ensure we are prepared if more water is needed,” she said during a Wednesday press conference.

According to Quiñones, addressing the water supply issues might necessitate a reevaluation and reengineering of the existing system, especially as climate change heightens the risk of more severe wildfires.

“In response to inquiries about climate resilience and how to improve our system, I affirm that changes are necessary,” she stated. “We must consider how to adapt our water systems for situations like this… it’s time to assess our infrastructure.”