As wildfires roar into residential neighborhoods, firefighters in California and elsewhere are finding that water systems can’t keep up with the demand.

As wildfires ravage the Los Angeles area, destroying neighborhoods and forcing tens of thousands to evacuate, the impact of the devastation continues to grow. At least five people have died and several wind-driven fires remain largely uncontained. The largest, known as the Palisades Fire, is the most destructive wildfire in Los Angeles history.

Crews battling multiple wildfires that raged across Los Angeles on Wednesday were up against a near-perfect storm: intense wind, low humidity and, most troubling for residents, inadequate supplies of water to contain the blazes.