LA's $750k-a-year water chief 'was aware of empty reservoir and broken fire hydrants months before fires' | 10 Jan 2025 | The $750,000-a-year LA water czar is responsible for a raft of failures that contributed to the devastating Palisades Fire, fire department insiders told DailyMail.com. On Mayor Karen Bass's orders, the city maxed out its budget to "attract private-sector talent," hiring Department of Water and Power (LADWP) CEO Janisse Quiñones on a $750,000 salary in May -- almost double that of her predecessor. Now, Quiñones is being blamed by LA Fire Department (LAFD) insiders for leaving a nearby reservoir disconnected and fire hydrants broken for months, DailyMail.com can reveal, leading to firefighters running out of water as they battled the devastating Palisades Fire this week. And, Daily Mail.com has learned, Quiñones past employer is also linked to fire scandals. She was previously a top executive at electricity company PG&E, which went bankrupt over liability for several massive wildfires in California.