Online creators have been buzzing about Stewart and Lynda Resnick, billionaires who own a portion of Southern California’s water supply, claiming that the couple is to blame for fire hydrants running dry amid the ongoing wildfires across the region.
But while the Resnicks have a reputation for being the “California couple who uses more water than every home in Los Angeles combined,” the blame is actually misplaced.
The Resnicks made their billions from their Wonderful Company, which produces foods like Wonderful Pistachios, POM pomegranate juice, and Halo tangerines.
Firefighters hose down a burning structure in Pasadena, California.
In 1994, the Resnicks signed a controversial backroom deal securing 58% of the Kern Water Bank. But according to CBS News, California’s water laws allow owners the right to usage, not ownership of the water itself. Moreover, the state actually has laws prohibiting people from withholding or hoarding water.
Felicia Marcus, former chair of the California State Water Resources Control Board, told CBS News that the state constitution includes a “prohibition against waste and unreasonable use.”
In other words, if “you actually ended up in a situation where somebody was withholding water at a grand scale,” the government could step in.
The Resnicks, who pledged $10 million from Wonderful Company for wildfire relief efforts, are just one example of the misinformed blame-throwing going on since the fires started.
President Donald Trump falsely claimed that California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s failure to sign a “water restoration declaration” was the reason for water supply shortages. Newsom’s office later noted that “no such document” even exists.
Other finger pointing was aimed at AI and tech companies, where social media users quickly circulated claims that super computers used up the water supplies desperately needed by the firefighters.
The real reason for the lack of water, however, is much more complicated. And, even more so, Los Angeles was simply not equipped for a natural disaster of this scale even with water supplies at a historical high.
“What’s happening in LA is not because there’s not enough water in LA in storage,” Marcus said. “There are no urban water systems that are built out to handle a firestorm like this.”
At the end of the day, people are angry and scared. Many have lost their homes, their financial safety net, and their sense of security. And as of Jan. 16, at least 27 people died in the fires.
Firefighters work to put out a fire in Malibu, California.
While conditions have eased, allowing firefighters to push back the flames, the ultra-dry conditions have experts concerned about future vulnerability.
For those looking to help out but not sure where to start, disaster relief expert Irwin Redlener told Daily Kos that it’s not always helpful to throw money at large nonprofits like American Red Cross, since they often already have large endowments for disasters.
Instead, he recommends supporting charities at the local level, including churches. But even that, unfortunately, can be complicated as it’s difficult to trace where exactly funds are going.
“It’s hard for the consumer to tell what is actually most effective,” he said, adding that Charity Navigator is a helpful tool for assessing a charity’s effectiveness.
Redlener also pointed out that the destruction from the California wildfires will last much longer than the media coverage.
“It will disappear from the front pages of news organizations, and it will be replaced by other issues. And, ironically, that may be the time when we really need to be thinking about what’s happening to the people who have been affected by the disaster,” he said. “So sometimes it might be worth it for people to sort of hold on to their generosity.”
Donate now to support Southern California relief efforts.
