
When L.A. fires broke out, the 117-million gallon Santa Ynez Reservoir near Pacific Palisades was empty. Here's what we know.
CBSN
The Santa Ynez Reservoir, a 117-gallon water resource near the Pacific Palisades, was under renovation and empty when fires tore through the Los Angeles neighborhood last week and firefighters quickly depleted available water resources, city officials said.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Friday he was launching an independent state investigation into the loss of water pressure and unavailability of water from the reservoir. He directed Los Angeles' Department of Water and Power (DWP) to prepare a "comprehensive review" of their efforts to ensure available water supply in case of emergencies.
The Palisades Fire erupted on Tuesday, Jan. 7, and by 3 a.m., the three 1-million-gallon water tanks in Pacific Palisades ran dry due to "extreme demand," officials said. Winds gusting over 100 miles per hour prevented air support from helping to douse the flames with other water sources.

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When the Environmental Protection Agency was formed in 1970, its mission was to protect the environment and human health. Since then, scientists, health experts and advocates have worked to implement regulations aimed at protecting and cleaning the air we breathe and the water we drink. Many of these regulations, which were aimed at cleaning up the air, also helped reduce carbon emissions, which can contribute to climate change – so it was a win for our bodies and the planet.