Los Angeles neighbors come together to tackle water shortages, protect homes from wildfires

Communities in the U.S. state of California are coming together to tackle water shortages and protect each other's homes as they grapple with one of the state's worst-ever wildfire disasters.

Nick Pemberton, a resident of Altadena, Los Angeles County, was home alone after evacuating his wife and children. He is among only a few who stayed behind in the neighborhood when the flames reached his street.

"There were no firefighters here, there were just too many fires everywhere, they had not enough presence," he said.

Working at a construction firm, Pemberton was lucky to be able to get his hands on a water tank with a generator to put out the flames on his street. He and those staying behind did all they could to put out fires before entire houses burnt down, but in some cases they were too late.

When firefighters finally arrived, however, his earlier efforts helped them get the flames under control elsewhere in the neighborhood.

"We were at least able to stop it here and then when the fire trucks showed up on Mar Vista, one street over, they ran out of water because all the fire hydrants were down. The firefighters came over and asked us for water from our water trucks that we'd taken from the swimming pools," he said.

The Los Angeles Fire department acknowledges it does not have sufficient staffing to contain simultaneous fires of this magnitude, and it soon became clear that the city's water systems aren't equipped to deliver such large volumes of water over several hours.

"The reality is that we have urban water systems that are not designed to fight wildfires or put out entire mountainsides that are on fire. And we are having very high severity events that are unprecedented," said Edith de Guzman, Water Equity and Adaptation Specialist at University of California, Los Angeles.

According to Pemberton's account, locals acutely felt this clamping of resources, but were able to persist by embracing a neighborly spirit.

"Definitely, [challenges include] not having the fire hydrants still even turned on and not being able to hose down yards and rooftops and things like that. But thank God we were able to get the pumps in the hoses and start pumping out swimming pools. And it was amazing. Every neighbor with a swimming pool was running out and saying: use our water," he said.

Since the blazes erupted on Tuesday, more than 36,000 acres have been scorched, over 10,000 structures destroyed, and at least 11 lives lost.

On Friday, California Governor Gavin Newsom ordered an investigation into the causes behind water supply problems that hindered firefighting efforts, describing the reports of water shortages as "deeply troubling."

Los Angeles neighbors come together to tackle water shortages, protect homes from wildfires

Los Angeles neighbors come together to tackle water shortages, protect homes from wildfires

Los Angeles neighbors come together to tackle water shortages, protect homes from wildfires

Los Angeles neighbors come together to tackle water shortages, protect homes from wildfires

The Iranian government is focusing on public concerns and maintaining stable supplies of essential goods amid recent protests, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a televised interview on Sunday.

In the city of Karaj, northwest of the capital Tehran, daily life has largely continued as normal. A video filmed by a local resident on Sunday shows food stores open and grocery shelves fully stocked.

"This is the block near my home, and there are some food stores here. Daily life continues here. Last night we did not see many protests in Karaj. Right now the city is very safe. This is a grocery store close to my home. All the food is available; nothing is in shortage. Here are noodles and different types of beans. Here are dairy products, cheese, and yogurt. I also checked other grocery stores and didn't see any shortages. Everything is available," said local resident Ali Reza.

Iranian officials have described recent disturbances as acts orchestrated by the "enemy," including some carried out by well-trained and armed "terrorists." The incidents have caused casualties among security personnel and civilians, as well as property damage.

The Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani has directed authorities to severely punish the "terrorists."

Meanwhile, Iran's police chief Ahmad-Reza Radan said on Sunday that the police had raised alert levels and arrested several leaders of the troublemakers during the operations on Saturday.

President Pezeshkian noted in the interview that the normal demands of the Iranian people are reasonable and justified, but they must realize that triggering riots and carrying out terrorist acts are the enemy's attempts to undermine the country. He urged the public to remain vigilant.

Also on Sunday, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf warned that Tehran would regard U.S. and Israeli bases and facilities in the Middle East as "legitimate targets" if Washington takes military action against Iran. His remarks followed media reports saying U.S. President Donald Trump is "seriously considering authorizing a strike" against Iran.

Iranian state media reported that at least 109 members of Iran's security forces have been killed in clashes since the protests began 14 days ago. Meanwhile, human rights groups based outside the country said the number of protesters killed has exceeded 200, though the figure could not be independently verified.

The protests initially erupted over a sharp depreciation of the rial and sweeping subsidy reforms. Iranian authorities have blamed the unrest on foreign-linked agents and sanctions imposed by the United States.

Iranian president says government focusing on ensuring supplies amid protests