Fierce wildfires are raging in the Los Angeles area, fueled by powerful Santa Ana winds, sending residents fleeing from burning homes through flames, ferocious winds and towering clouds of smoke. Thousands of firefighters were battling at least three separate blazes on Wednesday, from the Pacific Coast inland to Pasadena.

Fire Hydrants in Palisades Turn To a Trickle

“We pushed the system to the extreme,” said Janisse Quiñones, CEO of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. “Four times the normal demand was seen for 15 hours straight, which lowered our water pressure.”

The utility was pushing water from its source into the system, but demand was so high that it wasn’t enough to fill three, one-million-gallon tanks that help maintain pressure for the hydrants in the hills of Palisades.

One tank ran out at 4:45 p.m. on Tuesday, one at 8:30 pm and the third at 3 a.m. on Wednesday.

Officials are urging residents across the region to conserve water so there’s enough for firefighters to use.

“We’re fighting a wildfire with urban water systems, and that is really challenging,” Quiñones said.