Los Angeles watched in awe and horror this weekend as squadrons of aircraft headed toward Brentwood and Encino, spraying water on the Palisades fires.
Much of the television coverage focused on the incredible sight of helicopters flying over tall columns of fire day and night, spraying water and turning into white smoke as they flew away. Onlookers cheered at the direct hit.
But there’s another hero in this epic aerial shootout who doesn’t get as much praise. It’s Encino Reservoir.
For 104 years, Encino Reservoir has been a valuable asset to the people of the San Fernando Valley. But this week could help entire communities in the direction of the fires.
Encino Reservoir seen from above, September 28, 2022. This reservoir will serve as an emergency water supply for Los Angeles.
(Haley Smith/Los Angeles Times)
One of the reasons firefighters are able to fight fires so aggressively is because they can collect water just a few miles from the front lines. The reservoir is located within the Encino Hills and is within a mandatory evacuation area.
To understand just how important this reservoir was, check out this time-lapse mapping of aircraft flying back and forth from Encino to the fire scene.
This reservoir is a beloved and protected landmark in Encino. Residents have been fighting for years over the city of Los Angeles’ plan to supply water to the area from another source, with officials saying the outdoor reservoir is susceptible to contamination by rain runoff, bird droppings and other pollutants. Pointed out.
After much debate, the city ultimately decided to keep the reservoir open and use it for emergencies such as earthquakes, droughts and terrorist attacks, The Times reported in 2002.
Encino is one of several landmark reservoirs built in the 1920s as part of William Mulholland’s plan to secure and store more water around growing cities (others include Stone Canyon and Hollywood, where firefighters credited supplying enough water for a helicopter drop earlier this year (the week of the Sunset Fire in Hollywood).
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