A bill in the California legislature by Assemblymember Steve Bennett aims to ensure that water pumps in Ventura County have backup generators in the event of another major wildfire.

Crews will reportedly be shutting off power to one of the district's water pumps to install emergency standby generators.

Pumps are needed to refill high-elevation tanks to maintain water pressure. “I thought, after the Thomas fire, all water districts would put in backup generators,” Bennett said. But that was ...