Senator Adam Schiff (D-CA) has come under fire for a controversial and potentially misleading statement made during an interview on ABC regarding the wildfires in Los Angeles and the role of a non-operational reservoir in the Pacific Palisades. This reservoir, capable of holding 117 million gallons of water, has been cited by critics as a missed opportunity to provide critical resources for firefighting efforts. Many have pointed fingers at California’s government for failing to maintain this key infrastructure.

During the initial stages of the wildfires, reports surfaced indicating that many fire hydrants across Los Angeles were completely depleted of water, severely hampering the efforts of firefighters on the ground. When questioned about this on ABC, Schiff was asked to address the issue directly. The anchor pressed him, saying, “Why did so many of those fire hydrants simply run dry? Was there something to do with that 117 million-gallon reservoir in the Palisades that was out of operation? What’s your understanding? What’s your initial read on this?”

In response, Schiff attempted to downplay the connection between the depleted fire hydrants and the inactive reservoir. “Well, my initial take, and I certainly want a full review of this so that I can form a more complete understanding of the matter,” Schiff began.

He then asserted that the reservoirs in question were “full” when the fires started. “But my initial understanding is the reservoirs that the Palisades were drawing on, these 3 million-gallon reservoirs, were full at the initiation of these fires,” he explained.