Former NASCAR star Danica Patrick is publicly questioning why water availability is an issue for firefighters battling the Los Angeles wildfires.
Los Angeles has been grappling with multiple wildfires. Indeed, three major fires are currently burning from the Pacific coast to Pasadena. These fires have led to the evacuation of over 70,000 residents. They’ve destroyed more than 1,000 structures, and tragically taken five lives.
Reports have surfaced that the Los Angeles area had run out of water for some fire hydrants. Videos on social media have since confirmed this. The city also had a severe lack of firefighting planes.
Janisse Quiñones, chief engineer of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, indicated on Wednesday that the system was overwhelmed.
“We have three large water tanks, about a million gallons each….we ran out of water in the first tank at about 4:45 p.m. yesterday,” she said. “We ran out of water in the second tank about 8:30 p.m. and the third tank about 3 a.m. this morning.”
It is a stunning lack of preparedness by officials in LA and California.
🚨California deserves better!
— AJ Huber (@Huberton) January 8, 2025
"This is like a third-world country, there is no water coming out of the fire hydrants. LA Mayor Karen Bass is on a foreign trip to Ghana."
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass should resign now! pic.twitter.com/cw9ekPXi8v
Danica Patrick Slams California
Danica Patrick, the first woman to win an IndyCar Series race, is livid over the situation.
“California has 840 miles of coastline and 3,000 lakes and reservoirs. Why don’t they have enough water to fix any and all fires?” Patrick wrote on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.
“At some point I have to imagine it’s getting difficult for hardcore cali lovers to accept the state of their state and how it’s managed,” she continued.
California has 840 miles of coast line and 3,000 lakes and reservoirs. Why don’t they have enough water to fix any and all fires?
— Danica Patrick (@DanicaPatrick) January 8, 2025
At some point I have to imagine it’s getting difficult for hardcore cali lovers to accept the state of their state and how it’s managed.
Patrick’s comments echo those of President-elect Donald Trump, who also pointed out water issues with these wildfires.
“Governor Gavin Newscum refused to sign the water restoration declaration put before him that would have allowed millions of gallons of water, from excess rain and snow melt from the North, to flow daily into many parts of California, including the areas that are currently burning in a virtually apocalyptic way,” Trump said.
In 2019, the then-President tweeted that California needs to open up what he called “ridiculously closed water lanes.”
It would seem that the warnings were not heeded.
RELATED: Former NASCAR Driver Danica Patrick: Loving America Isn’t That Difficult
Touts Patriotism
Patrick has been criticized for attending a pro-America political conference earlier this year. However, she hasn’t shied away from it.
“I was like, ‘Wow.’ All I really said was that I love America. I found it really sad and shocking that that could be so polarizing,” she said in an interview at the time.
Patrick was a pioneering female driver in NASCAR. She became the first woman to win a pole position in the Sprint Cup Series at the Daytona 500 in 2012. She ultimately finished 8th in that race, the highest ever by a female driver.
Throughout her NASCAR career from 2012 to 2018, Patrick drove for teams like Stewart-Haas Racing. She achieved notable moments like her top-ten finishes and leading laps.
Patrick helped increase the visibility of women in motorsports.
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