"There's absolutely no connection between the two. This is a localized problem," said Felicia Marcus, former chair of the California State Water Resources Control Board.
The fires also resurfaced criticism around state and local water decisions, from taking down dams to not building enough reservoirs.
The real culprit is extremely dry conditions, experts told CNBC. Before the fires, LA saw close to zero rain since May, and 2024 was the hottest year on record for the planet, Gleick said.