Fire victims frustrated after Palisades reservoir that was empty during fire is dry again

PACIFIC PALISADES, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- The reservoir that was empty during the Palisades Fire is dry again - and some fire victims are not happy about it.

The Santa Ynez Reservoir in Pacific Palisades, a critical asset to firefighting efforts, was offline for repairs when the fire started in January 2025.

A report, however, found that even if the reservoir with the capacity of 117 million gallons of water was full at the time of the fires, the system would have been quickly overwhelmed.

It was then refilled, but after officials found tears in the cover, it had to once again be taken out of service.

The LADWP started draining the Santa Ynez Reservoir in late February in order to replace the damaged 15-year-old floating cover.

The department said that the project, which was announced back in January, would ensure safe drinking water.

No water interruptions are expected during the project, LADWP said.

The reservoir is not expected to be back in service until the fall.