Water pressure hampered Yorba Linda fire fight

Orange County Fire Capt. Bill Lockhart said the fire crew he was working with Saturday afternoon in Yorba Linda had difficulties with water pressure.

On Fairmont Boulevard about 5 p.m. Saturday, he said, "We had a 'dry hydrant', where we hooked up to it and nothing came out." So the crew moved along to the next available hydrant, which worked. "It delayed things a bit, but we were able to make it happen," he said.

Speaking to a resident of Big Horn Mountain Way, whose Yorba Linda home was destroyed and who voiced concerns about reports of poor water pressure, Lockhart also gave a general explanation of the problem.

"Typically the pressure is good if we're fighting a fire at one single family home," he said. "But when we have a profound incident, when there's multiple demands, not everything works right."

Lockhart said calling the local water district would also reveal what sort of water pressure problems they were dealing with Saturday.

--Tony Barboza

Comments

[Chandrakant Patel]

My heart goes to Aurora family. Their house was burned down in Yorba Linda. I saw the picture in LA times and I was very upset. May God give them strength. If we can do anything, we will do that. Have courage. May God bless you

[Chandrakant Patel]

My heart goes to Aurora family. Their house was burned down in Yorba Linda. I saw the picture in LA times and I was very upset. May God give them strength. If we can do anything, we will do that. Have courage. May God bless you

[Chandrakant Patel]

My heart goes to Aurora family. Their house was burned down in Yorba Linda. I saw the picture in LA times and I was very upset. May God give them strength. If we can do anything, we will do that. Have courage. May God bless you

[Chandrakant Patel]

My heart goes to Aurora family. Their house was burned down in Yorba Linda. I saw the picture in LA times and I was very upset. May God give them strength. If we can do anything, we will do that. Have courage. May God bless you

[Fred]

The residents should ask why the city fire department was not there to help them and why they ran out of water? Oc needs to be prepared for fire and not rely on the state or federal government to help them.

[wingandaprayer]

The exec at the Yorba Linda Water district should be ashamed of themselves. They have a beautiful new building with comfortable furniture for them to sit on, but THEY HAVE NO WATER PRESSURE! Looks like they have some splaining to do to the residents that lost their homes.

[Meena]

The residents should NOT ask the city of Yorba Linda where the fire department was or why there was low water pressure because the city does not have its own fire department. The city contracts with the county wide department and water service is provided by a special water district. If you want local accountability you have to be willing to pay for it. The folks in the city are not even willing to pay the full costs for their beautiful landscaping. So enjoy the cost-savings of regional services and remember that you get what you pay for.

[Mike]

I don't think you can blame the water district for the failure. Water systems are designed to meet standards put in place by the fire department when the area is developed. If the magnitude of the fire exceeds what was contemplated, and water demand exceeds what was designed for, the system breaks down. Perhaps the fire department will require upgrades to the water system in order for these people to rebuild? And who will pay for it? Hopefully not me. I chose to live away from these nature corridors that tend to catch fire and burn down neighboring houses.

[Jessie]

I agree with Mike, before anyone starts pointing fingers you need to see the facts, everything that could go wrong went wrong during those fires

[Anora]

The Yorba Linda Residents will never be pleased with anything. They always complain about anything and everything, even when good is done. Fire, police, and everyone that has responded has done an excellent job. Thank you! Thank you for sacrificing your lives for us. To those that lost their homes, my heart goes out to them and their families. God bless.

[Patty O'Brien]

Today I was at Church on La Palma, east of Weir Canyon and the street east of Rock Church, I noted a yellow fire hydrent with a mickey-moused hose hooked to it, watering the landscape. There was no meter on the hydrant and water was gushing from it. The six foot hose led to a low flow of water on a tree to the south.

If this Industrial section is taking unauthorized, non-permitted water from the hydrant, might the other industiral sites be doing the same?

I took a picture of it and stopped at a nearby city's fire station. The fireman advised me that the Water District owned the hydrant's and I should report it to them, and I will.

Could this practice, Saturday access of industrial parks to water, have any impact on the lack of water pressure to the area on the Saturday of the fires?

[Patty O'Brien]

Please amend the post I made earlier today. I printed a copy I took of the yellow hydrant in Yorba Linda and showed it to someone who could recognize the blue bag as a water meter. The connecting blue bag meter was malfunctioning and the most of the water was gushing backward and spilling on the ground. The six foot hose only putting a trickle of water to the tree and landscape. The bulk of the water poured to the ground, not through the meter and ran down the slope into the landscape.

I was wrong to assume the Industrial Park on La Palma was unpermitted and NOt metered. The meter whose is malfunctioning, which caught my attention, thus causing me to investigate and photograph the hydrant.

My apologies to anyone and everyone for my wrongful assumption.

If the moderator can please not post my comments, I would appreciate.

Eating humble pie...

[Cindy Johnson]

My house was one that was in grave danger of burning down, in fact we were told by the Fire Department they would probably not be able to save our home. At the last minute a fire truck and crew showed up and parked in every driveway on my block and save all our houses. I want to thank our fire department for doing such a wonderful job and the police department for keeping the traffic and looky loos out. I thank GOD for both of these department daily.

THANK YOU SO MUCH, because of you we still have a home to come to.