President Biden's defense of California officials during a devastating wildfire emergency takes an unexpected turn as utilities challenge his explanation of water pressure issues.
According to the New York Post, President Biden has reiterated a disputed claim about power utilities causing dry fire hydrants in Los Angeles, despite direct contradictions from both Southern Cal Edison and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power.
The controversy emerged during a virtual Oval Office meeting where Biden defended California Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass against criticism over their handling of the ongoing fires.
Both power providers have explicitly refuted Biden's assertion that electrical shutoffs affected water pump operations, instead attributing low water pressure to unprecedented demand in affected areas.
Biden's comments to Newsom and Bass included his perspective on the fire hydrant situation. The president stood firm on his position that utility companies had inadvertently caused water pressure issues by cutting power to pumps.
President Biden stated to the Democratic leaders:
I know you're getting a bad rap about 'these fire hydrants don't have enough water in them.' Give me a break. Give me a break. What this is all about is the utilities, understandably, what they did is they cut off power because they're worried about these high-tension lines coming down and causing more fires, right? And when they do that, guess what? They shut off the power that controls the ability to pump the water.
Both utility companies swiftly countered these claims. LADWP clarified that water pumps remained operational throughout the crisis, with pressure issues stemming from demand reaching four times normal levels in the Palisades area.
Governor Newsom expressed frustration over what he characterized as misinformation surrounding the catastrophe. During the virtual meeting, he addressed perceived attacks on local leadership:
We've gotta deal with this misinformation. There were hurricane force winds of mis- and disinformation, lies. People want to divide this country, and we're going to have to address that as well.
The situation has intensified scrutiny of Mayor Bass's recent $17.6 million cut to the fire department budget, implemented shortly before the fires began while she was visiting Africa. The devastating blazes have destroyed approximately 10,000 buildings and resulted in at least 10 deaths.
The crisis has become increasingly politicized, with President-elect Donald Trump criticizing Newsom's water management policies and local officials' maintenance of hillside areas. Biden dismissed these critiques, particularly regarding forest floor maintenance suggestions.
The fire's damage estimate has reached unprecedented levels, leading to heightened tensions between state and federal leadership. Neither Newsom nor Bass addressed Biden's contested claims about utility companies during their virtual meeting.
The Los Angeles wildfire crisis has evolved into a complex political issue involving local, state, and federal leadership. President Biden's repeated claims about power utilities affecting fire hydrants have been definitively contradicted by service providers, who maintain that water pressure issues resulted from overwhelming demand rather than power outages.
The devastating fires have destroyed thousands of buildings and claimed multiple lives while exposing deep divisions in disaster response management. As criticism mounts over budget cuts and resource allocation, local leaders continue to defend their actions while facing challenges from nature and political opponents.
