Sen. Rick Scott, Chair Ron Johnson Request Records from LADWP for Congressional Investigation into Pacific Palisades Wildfire

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Senator Rick Scott and Senator Ron Johnson, chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC) Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (PSI), sent a letter to Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) Chief Executive Officer and Chief Engineer Janisse Quiñones and Board of Water and Power Commissioners President Richard Katz requesting records and information related to LADWP's preparedness and response to the Pacific Palisades wildfire in January 2025. This comes as public reports have raised questions about critical water systems necessary for fire suppression and the potential mismanagement of reservoirs, which led to a lack of water on the day when residents in Los Angeles County needed it most.

The senators' letter is the latest in their ongoing congressional investigation into the deadly Palisades fire that devastated the Pacific Palisades community in Los Angeles, resulting in billions of dollars in property damage and the tragic loss of life. This follows a letter sent last month to Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) Fire Chief Kristin Crowley and interim Fire Chief Ronnie Villanueva, requesting information on the LAFD's response to the Palisades fire.

Read the letter to Chief Executive Officer and Chief Engineer Quiñones and Board of Water and Power Commissioners President Katz below or HERE.

Dear Ms. Quiñones and Mr. Katz:

In January 2025, Los Angeles County, California, was devastated by a number of wildfires, including the Palisades fire, which caused billions of dollars in damage to homes and businesses and resulted in loss of life.[1] Public reports have raised questions about Los Angeles's wildfire preparations and the response to the January 2025 wildfires, including the Palisades fire. For example, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power's ("LADWP"[2]) July 2025 preliminary report identified issues with critical water systems necessary for fire suppression, including loss of pressure to fire hydrants.[3] There have also been other allegations that the mismanagement of reservoirs led to a lack of water on the day that residents in Los Angeles County needed it most.[4]

Pursuant to Senate Resolution 94 (119th Cong.), the United States Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (the "Subcommittee") is conducting a review of Los Angeles's wildfire mitigation and suppression efforts, including the response to the Palisades fire. In order to assist the Subcommittee in its review, please provide the following information and records. Unless otherwise stated, the period of time for this request shall be February 1, 2022, to present.

1. All records[5] referring or relating to wildfire response between December 28, 2024, and the present, including but not limited to the response to the Palisades and Lachman fires, as well as all communications to or from LADWP Regulatory Affairs Manager John Kemmerer.

1. All records referring or relating to maintenance, inspection, or repairs of infrastructure, including but not limited to communications referring or relating to any decision to forgo any maintenance or repairs.

1. All records referring or relating to wildfire prevention, mitigation, and response measures, including but not limited to:
2. 1. Funding and budget requests;
   2. Training;
   3. Critical technology replacement;
   4. Staffing increases;
   5. Improvements, inspections, or maintenance of facilities and infrastructure;
   6. Standard operating procedures for communications during a wildfire;
   7. After-action reports from the 2025 Palisades fire; and
   8. Water tenders.

1. All records referring or relating to water supply and delivery between January 1, 2023, and December 31, 2025, including but not limited to:
2. 1. Sufficiency of water supply to the Palisades;
   2. The Westgate Trunk Line along Sunset Boulevard;
   3. Fire hydrant systems, including pressure assessments;
   4. Pumping stations, including communications on pumping stations assessments and performance during wildfire response events;
   5. Decisions about whether to shut off water to adjacent neighborhoods to increase water pressure to the Palisades;
   6. Storage capacity or water level assessments of water storage systems, including tanks or reservoirs;
   7. Risks or dangers of wildfires occurring while reservoirs were drained or out of service; and
   8. Any contingency or backup plans to address loss of pressure or water systems during a wildfire response.

1. All records referring or relating to the press release on January 23, 2025, entitled: "Correcting Misinformation about LADWP's Water System."

1. All records referring or relating to the Santa Ynez Reservoir, including but not limited to:
2. 1. All records referring or relating to maintenance, inspection, or repair of the reservoir's floating cover;
   2. Records related to the initial decision to utilize floating covers, including memoranda or contracts;
   3. All communications referring or relating to the draining of the reservoir;
   4. All communications referring or relating to contingency or alternative water storage plans in the event the reservoir was drained;
   5. All communications referring or relating to the use of the Chautauqua Reservoir in lieu of the Santa Ynez Reservoir; and
   6. All communications referring or relating to Layfield USA Corporation or any other contractor, vendor, or bidder regarding any proposal to repair or replace the Santa Ynez Reservoir's floating cover, including but not limited to discussions of LADWP's "Supplier Diversity" policies or the DEI policies of Layfield or other contractors, vendors, or bidders.[6]

1. All records referring or relating to the maintenance of the power lines, including but not limited to whether it contributed to the spread of the Palisades fire.

1. All communications referring or relating to wildfire prevention, mitigation, or suppression, including but not limited to the Palisades fire, between LADWP and any employee or official with the following entities:
2. 1. Los Angeles Mayor's Office;
   2. Los Angeles City Council;
   3. Office of the Governor of California;
   4. Los Angeles Fire Department;
   5. Los Angeles County Fire Department; and
   6. Any federal agency or department.

Please produce this information as soon as possible, but no later than 5:00 p.m. EST on October 17, 2025. If you have any questions about this request, please contact Subcommittee staff at (202) 224-3721 and (202) 224-0909. Thank you in advance for your prompt attention to this matter.

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