Some Democrats have suggested that the devastating wildfires which have ravaged Los Angeles are attributable to climate change.

However, a bombshell new report suggests that the damage has more to do with gross incompetence from L.A.'s water chief. 

Sources say official mishandled water supply

In an article published on Friday, the Daily Mail cited allegations to that effect from some within the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD).

Sources say that  Department of Water and Power (LADWP) CEO Janisse Quiñones knowingly left the Santa Ynez water reservoir disconnected while broken fire hydrants went unrepaired for months.

The Daily Mail noted how Quiñones was hired on the orders of Democratic Mayor Karen Bass last spring with a salary almost double that of her predecessor.

The newspaper recalled how prior to heading up LADWP, Quiñones served as a senior vice president at Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E).

Problems with fire hydrants go back years

The utility company filed for bankruptcy after its power lines were found to have caused the second largest wildfire in California history.

Yet one unnamed senior figure with the LAFD told the Daily Mail that Los Angeles' water problems go back well before Quiñones tenure began.

"For my entire career we would do this once a year then send in a report to our Hydrant Unit with all the problems we encountered. Year after year the same hydrants that had problems were not fixed," the officer recalled.

"One example that comes to mind were the hydrants by Palisades High School on Temescal Canyon. They were dry many times we checked them," he or she went on to complain.

Gavin news calls for an investigation

Meanwhile, some prominent Democrats are now demanding investigation into the disaster which has thus far claimed at least 16 lives.

One of those speaking up is California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who put out a statement on the matter via social media late last week.

NEW: I am calling for an independent investigation into the loss of water pressure to local fire hydrants and the reported unavailability of water supplies from the Santa Ynez Reservoir.

We need answers to ensure this does not happen again and we have every resource available to… pic.twitter.com/R0vq0wwZph

— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) January 10, 2025

"I am calling for an independent investigation into the loss of water pressure to local fire hydrants and the reported unavailability of water supplies from the Santa Ynez Reservoir," Newsom wrote.

"We need answers to ensure this does not happen again and we have every resource available to fight these catastrophic fires," the governor went on to add.