The Los Angeles Fire Department did not inform the city’s Department of Water and Power until mid-February that more than 1,000 fire hydrants needed repairs, despite being aware of the issues months before.

According to city records and officials, the Fire Department discovered the damage to the hydrants during inspections in the months prior to the Jan. 7 Palisades fire, which destroyed thousands of homes.

While firefighters struggled with low water pressure during the blaze, it’s unclear whether the damaged hydrants played a role.

The lapse in sharing inspection records came to light Feb. 12, when KCBS-TV reported that LAFD had compiled a list of 1,350 fire hydrants requiring repairs. Some of those repairs appear to have been flagged as early as January 2024, according to the list, which the station obtained from LAFD through a public records request.