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More than a dozen victims of the Pacific Palisades fire are suing a Los Angeles utility company for “failures” that they say contributed to the fire’s devastation.
The lawsuit, filed last week on behalf of community residents and a pizzeria owner, accused the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power of being unprepared for the Palisades Fire and allowing a critical water supply to remain. dry before the inferno that lawyers said was “the worst natural disaster in the history of the city of Los Angeles,” according to court documents obtained by Fox News Digital.
“The water supply system serving Pacific Palisades failed miserably, leaving residents and firefighters with little to no water to fight the fire,” said Roger Behle, an attorney representing one of the survivors of the Palisades fire. and whose own family lost their home to a wildfire in 2020. he said in a statement.
CALIFORNIA POLICE ARRESTS TWO IN PALISADES FIRE EVACUATION ZONE AFTER ‘SUSPICIOUS’ BEHAVIOR
The Santa Ynez Reservoir seen from above on September 28, 2022. The reservoir, which serves the Pacific Palisades and Brentwood areas, is seen here with a cover to prevent evaporation. (Hayley Smith/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
“The Santa Ynez Reservoir“A 117 million gallon water storage complex that is part of the Los Angeles water supply system was empty and had been empty for almost a year,” Behle continued.
The lawsuit alleges that the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power took the Santa Ynez Reservoir out of service in February 2024 and drained it over “water quality concerns” after a tear in the floating cover allowed debris to flow in. , bird droppings and other objects will flow. enter the water supply.
When the Palisades Fire broke out, required repair work had not been completed and the warehouse remained empty, leaving fire crews with “little or no water” to fight the flames, the lawsuit continues.
“LADWP made a conscious decision not to timely repair the Santa Ynez Reservoir cover, leaving the reservoir drained and unusable, all as a ‘cost-savings’ measure,” the attorneys argue.
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Water is dropped on the Palisades Fire from a helicopter in Mandeville Canyon on Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
The public’s purpose for draining the reservoir and leaving it empty was to “seek bids from contractors rather than using in-house personnel” to repair the reservoir, according to the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, the lawsuit states.
“The degree of damage that resulted from the Palisades Fire far outweighed any benefit that could have been gained by subcontracting and delaying repairs to the Santa Ynez Reservoir,” argue attorneys representing fire survivors.
California Governor Gavin Newsom ordered an independent investigation of the LADWP on Jan. 10 regarding the loss of water pressure and the deliberate closure of the reservoir, calling it “deeply concerning,” according to court records.
Newsom added that the loss of water pressure “likely impacted” firefighters’ ability to protect homes and evacuation zones in Pacific Palisades.
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Flames and smoke rise from structures as the Palisades Fire burns during a wind storm on the west side of Los Angeles, California, U.S., on January 8, 2025. (REUTERS/Ringo Chiu)
Los Angeles Fire Department Capt. Erik Scott said there were “challenges with water pressure while fighting the Pacific Palisades Fire” and that “the water pressure was not exactly what we needed,” the documents say.
The attorneys go on to argue that despite “dire warnings” from the National Weather Service about “critical fire weather” with the potential for “rapid fire spread and extreme fire behavior,” the LADWP was not prepared for the Palisades fire.
“LADWP had a duty to properly construct, inspect, maintain and operate its water supply system. LADWP breached these duties,” the lawsuit alleges.
Firefighters monitor the progress of the Palisades Fire in Mandeville Canyon on Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)
Pacific Palisades residents are suing the utility company for property damage and personal injuries suffered.
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“The Palisades Fire has been a traumatic event for its victims, who, through no fault of their own, went from homeowners to homelessness in a matter of hours,” the attorneys wrote, adding that the fire killed at least eight people, They injured many civilians and firefighters and destroyed at least 5,300 homes and businesses in Pacific Palisades, Malibu and Topanga Canyon.
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and newsom office did not immediately respond for comment.
