Expert: No water system can handle Los Angeles wildfires

Wildfires continue to rage through Southern California, claiming the lives of at least 11 people and destroying thousands of homes. As firefighting teams work to assess the damage and determine the causes, experts suggest that a combination of factors, including climate change, intense winds, and drought conditions, contributed to the widespread destruction.

CNN’s review of government reports and interviews with experts reveals that even with water systems operating at full capacity, the fires that broke out this week would have been difficult to control, particularly with high winds halting aerial firefighting efforts. "I don’t think any water system in the world is equipped to handle events like this," said Greg Pierce, a water resources expert at the University of California.

Read more: Los Angeles wildfires force 130,000 to evacuate

While the full activation of water systems might not have fully extinguished the fires, experts believe it could have helped reduce the damage, potentially saving some homes and controlling embers in specific areas.

The fires, fueled by fierce winds reaching speeds of 100 mph, have forced officials to label the disaster a "perfect storm," making it even harder to control. The unusual combination of dry conditions, high winds, and continuous fires in the same region made large-scale destruction almost inevitable.

Although the winds slightly subsided on Friday, the situation remains perilous with extreme dryness exacerbating the spread of flames. Emergency teams are operating with limited resources as they battle major fires in Malibu and Pacific Palisades, where luxury homes have been reduced to charred ruins.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has promised a comprehensive investigation into the disaster, vowing to evaluate what worked, what didn’t, and to hold individuals or agencies accountable.

Residents of the affected areas have described the scene as "the end of the world," with one survivor, Oren Waters, standing in front of his burned-down home, calling the destruction "unimaginable." US President Joe Biden compared the devastation to "a war zone" and a "bombing operation."