As firefighters battled to put out wildfires in southern California, the job of some was made much more difficult when fire hydrants ran dry due to extreme demand on the system.
Many observers pointed out that the state has an abundant source of water close by, courtesy of the Pacific Ocean, which could be used to tackle the blaze.
On the surface, that sounds like a sensible solution — and some seawater has, in fact, been used by aircraft in fighting these fires — but when you dig a little deeper, things get a bit complicated.
What is happening in California?
On Jan. 7, wildfires broke out in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, with further blazes later forming elsewhere, including in Eaton Canyon.
While the Golden State is no stranger to wildfires, the ferocity and rapid spread of the blaze caught many off guard. Drought conditions in California had led to vegetation becoming like tinder, and the Santa Ana winds further fueled the fires' spread, helping to carry burning embers to further locations at shocking rates.
According to experts speaking at a Covering Climate Now webinar on Tuesday, the fires have destroyed an area the size of San Francisco (TCD calculations indicate that is now about 17 square miles more than that). The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection observed that as of Wednesday, Jan. 15, over 23,000 acres have been burned in the Palisades Fire alone.
Why can't ocean water be used to put out the fires?
Some misinformation has claimed that the Los Angeles Fire Department and other officials have refused to use salt water to fight wildfires. But ocean water is used in some specific circumstances to put out fires — including to tackle parts of January's California blazes. It's just typically avoided if possible.
One reason is that salt water can lead to the corrosion of important firefighting equipment. Water tanks, fire pumps, and water dumping planes can all see deterioration from the salinity, and given how vital these are in efforts to extinguish blazes, it's best to start with water from the municipal supply or fresh water sources such as rivers and lakes.
Another reason is that salt water can cause lasting damage to the environment. As Futurism detailed, most local ecosystems are only accustomed to fresh water, and the introduction of salt can impact the growth of plant life for years to come.
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Move somewhere else 🌎 As an example, the publication pointed to an experiment by the Smithsonian that pumped water from Chesapeake Bay into a plot of forest. After just 30 hours of exposure, those trees turned brown far earlier in the year. A researcher at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center wrote for The Conversation that nearby trees given a similar fresh water treatment did not show the same deterioration.
Of course, most would agree that running that risk is far better than allowing an entire forest and nearby city neighborhoods to burn down, particularly given the risks to human lives, but fire officials don't want to turn to salt water too quickly or lightly.
The presence of seawater could also alter soil chemistry and structure, Futurism noted, with some important particles being dissolved. While it may take a lot of salt for this concern to become a major one, it is similar to tales of ancient cultures "salting the earth" after a war to prevent the defeated area from growing crops effectively.
How can we help to avoid water shortages?
The Southern California wildfires have emphasized the importance of water conservation, which was already a hot-button issue in the state.
Officials said the city entered the fires with full tanks of water and that the reason hydrants ran dry was primarily extreme demand from multiple hydrants and hoses drawing water simultaneously, causing water availability for hydrants at higher elevations to decrease.
As the Los Angeles Times reported, "the demand for water at lower elevations was hampering the ability to refill the tanks located at higher elevations" and "because of the ongoing fire, DWP [Department of Water and Power] crews also faced difficulty accessing its pump stations, which are used to move water up to the tanks."
While most of this demand can be attributed to fighting the fires, water usage can exacerbate drought conditions and municipal water availability. One way we can reduce the strain on this resource is by cutting our personal consumption.
For one small but easy example, the Environmental Protection Agency has said that by turning off the tap while brushing our teeth in the morning and at night, we can save eight gallons of water. Meanwhile, water-saving shower heads are available, and eco-toilets can also significantly reduce the amount of water that literally gets flushed down the drain.
More importantly, we can also reduce the water we use in our yards and gardens. Harvesting rainwater is one way to help in that regard, while native plant gardens are typically less thirsty than traditional monoculture lawns.
Xeriscaping, or the arrangement of drought-resistant plants and stones, is another way to have an attractive garden that isn't such a drain on resources.
There are many other problems contributing to water scarcity. The gradual overheating of the planet from greenhouse gas pollution contributes to this, as even slightly higher temperatures can increase evaporation rates. This causes more water to rise into the atmosphere, which can often lead to increased rain elsewhere.
California is also among the states dealing with water usage crises through AI data centers and other corporate usages. The most infamous is the Resnick family, whose businesses — such as POM Wonderful — together reportedly use 150 billion gallons per year.
For California's part, it is also taking steps to avoid illegal water diversion, with the recent introduction of Assembly Bill 460 increasing the punishment for those caught engaging in this practice.
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