Proposal for future fires in cities like Los Angeles:
LA ran out of water to fight the fire at a critical time. The issue was that it does not make sense to build a fresh water system capable of running hundreds of fire hydrants all at the same time.
Solution: set up an emergency system that can pump ocean or lake water up into the city mains. People can drink bottled water for a week or so if necessary till the fire is put out and fresh water can be pumped back through the system.