Why is there no water then to fight the fires with?

Because so many people, against public warnings, are hosing down their houses and yards, attempting to pevent their own property from burning.

I remember a photo from the sixties of Dick Nixon, standing on the roof of his own house, doing exactly that.

Can’t say that I blame anyone from doing that, but the net effect of thousands of people spraying down their own properties is a drop in water pressure in the mains. Hence, fire hydrants don’t have the necessary pressure to do much good.

But Santa Anna winds are being clocked at 100 mph, so it’s doubtful that even full water pressure would have prevented much of the damage.

But in the heart of this tragedy, one very important thing can be counted on: Donald Trump will be there to pour a can of gasoline on the fires of MAGA opinion.

Probably setting the stage for denying federal assistance in the recovery.