Why Isn’t Ocean Water Extensively Used to Fight LA’s Wildfires?
The question of why ocean water isn’t used more extensively to fight fires highlights the trade-offs between practicality, environmental stewardship, and financial feasibility.
Amid the devastating LA fires, dry hydrants left firefighters battling flames while the vast Pacific Ocean stood just out of reach.
Los Angeles, California - The devastating wildfires that have ravaged Los Angeles and its surrounding areas highlight a critical challenge: water scarcity in the face of emergencies. With fire hydrants running dry and thousands of structures lost, many have questioned why the Pacific Ocean—an immense, nearby water resource—is not being utilized more broadly to battle the flames. The answer lies in a complex interplay of environmental concerns, technical limitations, and logistical challenges.
While the nearby Pacific Ocean might seem like an obvious solution to the Los Angeles wildfires, using seawater to fight fires comes with significant challenges.
The Scale of the Problem
Recent wildfires in Los Angeles have displaced over 200,000 residents, destroyed 12,000 structures, and consumed 35,000 acres of land. Fire hydrants in some areas ran out of water, leaving emergency crews scrambling to combat blazes without their primary resource. LA Mayor Karen Bass and California Governor Gavin Newsom acknowledged the severity of the issue, with both calling for improvements to the water system to prevent future crises.
BREAKING: Damage and economic loss estimates in the Los Angeles wildfires have been raised to $250-$275 billion, per AccuWeather.
Losses are set to exceed Hurricane Katrina in 2005, even after adjusting for inflation.
While the nearby Pacific Ocean might seem like an obvious solution, using seawater to fight fires comes with significant challenges:
1. Environmental Impact
Salt Contamination: Salt water can damage ecosystems by salinizing the soil, making it infertile and unsuitable for plant growth. Tim Chavez, a retired fire analyst, explains that salt can "sterilize the soil," which hinders vegetation recovery and has long-term ecological consequences.
Marine Life Disruption: Large-scale pumping of seawater can harm marine life, particularly in areas where firefighting operations involve significant water extraction.
2. Corrosion of Equipment
Standard firefighting equipment, such as hoses, tanks, and pumps, is designed for fresh water. Salt water accelerates corrosion, leading to rapid deterioration and higher maintenance costs.
Specialized equipment that resists salt water corrosion is expensive and not widely available, making it impractical for widespread use.
3. Logistical and Operational Challenges
Transportation: Delivering ocean water to inland fire sites requires extensive infrastructure, such as pipelines or portable tanks, which can be costly and time-consuming to set up.
Aerial Firefighting: LA County firefighters do use ocean water for aerial firefighting. Aircraft like “super scoopers” can collect and drop up to 1,600 gallons of seawater at a time. However, these operations are limited by factors such as strong Santa Ana winds, which make precision drops dangerous and difficult.
Same street, before and today in Pacific Palisades.
The dry hydrants during the fires point to systemic issues in the water infrastructure:
Overwhelmed Systems: The sheer volume of water required to combat widespread fires drained local water supplies. Each structure fire demands multiple fire engines, each consuming thousands of gallons of water.
Infrastructure Limitations: Aging pipes and pumps, coupled with power outages, hindered the ability to maintain water pressure and flow during peak demand.
Compounding Losses: As structures burned, water pressure dropped further due to leaks from damaged pipes, exacerbating the crisis.
Current Use of Ocean Water in Firefighting
Despite these challenges, ocean water is not entirely off the table:
Specialized Aircraft: LA County firefighters deploy super scoopers and other saltwater-resistant aircraft to supplement fresh water firefighting efforts.
Strategic Deployment: Ocean water is typically reserved for areas where fresh water is unavailable or when firefighting resources are stretched thin.
Moving Forward: Improving Firefighting Resources
The recent crisis has prompted calls for innovation and investment in firefighting infrastructure:
Improved Water Systems: Upgrading pipelines, pumps, and reservoirs to handle extreme demand during emergencies.
Expanded Equipment: Investing in saltwater-resistant firefighting tools and aircraft to diversify water sources.
Environmental Safeguards: Researching methods to mitigate the ecological impacts of using seawater, such as filtering systems to remove salt before use.
Prevention Strategies: Strengthening fire prevention measures, such as controlled burns and vegetation management, to reduce the scale of future wildfires.
A Balancing Act
The question of why ocean water isn’t used more extensively to fight fires highlights the trade-offs between practicality, environmental stewardship, and financial feasibility. While the Pacific Ocean offers an immense resource, its use is not without significant challenges. Moving forward, a combination of improved infrastructure, technological innovation, and preventive measures will be essential to addressing the escalating threat of wildfires in Los Angeles and beyond.
