Newsom’s Wildfire Claims Face Local Water Questions

Clear Facts

• Governor Newsom’s office defended California’s wildfire water supply but omitted mention of a critical empty reservoir during the crisis.
• The Pacific Palisades blaze saw vital fire hydrants run dry, with local officials citing water infrastructure failures as a primary cause.
• President Trump blamed California’s leadership, while investigations and public criticism highlight deeper public safety and infrastructure concerns.

Governor Gavin Newsom’s press office responded sharply to President Trump’s comments about California’s wildfire water supply, stating that state reservoirs were at historic highs, yet overlooking a local reservoir sitting empty during the fire.

The Santa Ynez reservoir in the Pacific Palisades, managed locally, reportedly sat empty for months, which meant critical fire hydrants ran dry as thousands of homes were destroyed over 24 days.

Unfortunately, the President of the United States is a bumbling idiot.

THERE WAS PLENTY OF WATER IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA (IN FACT, STATE RESERVOIRS WERE AT HISTORIC HIGHS!)

🔗https://t.co/eaBb3hRckn https://t.co/nQhdEI7YBM

— Governor Newsom Press Office (@GovPressOffice) September 3, 2025

A spokesperson for the California Department of Water Resources said the reservoir was dry due to necessary repairs, while Newsom launched an investigation into the failures after widespread public outrage.

President Trump remarked in a highlighted video,

“He didn’t allow the water to come from the Pacific Northwest. … They send the water out to the Pacific Ocean, so I demanded that to be open. If that were open, you wouldn’t have had the fire because all the sprinklers would’ve worked in the houses. They had no water. They had no water in the fire hydrants.”

He questioned the decision-making, stating, “There’s something wrong with these people.”

Newsom asserted on January 10,

“The ongoing reports of the loss of water pressure to some local fire hydrants during the fires and the reported unavailability of water supplies from the Santa Ynez Reservoir are deeply troubling to me and to the community. We need answers to ensure this does not happen again and we have every resource available to fight these catastrophic fires.”

Residents criticized Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass for lacking leadership and weak disaster preparedness, feeling their safety was neglected during a major crisis.

Newsom previously signed a $1 billion executive order in 2019 to boost wildfire readiness, but a later review found the state overstated progress and missed key goals.

Recent findings show city water systems failed under sudden demand, not due to an overall lack of water, yet billions of gallons still flow unused into the Pacific because of poor infrastructure, according to Los Angeles officials.

The Department of Justice has also filed a lawsuit against Southern California Edison, blaming utility negligence for massive fires, further complicating California’s recovery and public trust in leadership.

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