Firefighters Told to ‘Stand Down’

Author: Sue Pascoe
Date: May 15, 2025
Publisher: Circling The News
Article: Firefighters Told to ‘Stand Down’

The article investigates the Los Angeles Fire Department’s (LAFD) response to the devastating Palisades Fire, presenting multiple resident accounts and expert criticism suggesting an order to “stand down” prevented active firefighting, even as homes were lost. The accounts mention firefighters refusing to use water on structures due to orders and concerns over empty hydrants, leaving residents who ignored evacuation orders to use garden hoses to save homes.
Read the full article here

Order to Stand Down:
A resident reported a firefighter told her they were “ordered to ‘stand down'” and only supposed to use water to save someone in a home or save a house, due to a lack of water in the hydrants. They only watered down an adjacent home after the resident began filming.

Resident Action:
People who stayed behind or snuck back in used garden hoses to put out spot fires and save structures, with some hiring private firefighters.

Lack of Water:
The issue of water supply was a major point of contention, with the Santa Ynez reservoir being empty. The LADWP claimed the reservoir was taken out of service to meet safe drinking water regulations, but asserted billions of gallons were available elsewhere.

Criticism:
A retired fire captain listed several LAFD failures, including not deploying resources, not requesting mutual aid from surrounding counties, and not using the “Water Eductor” device to draft water from swimming pools when hydrants were down.