Over a dozen victims the Pacific Palisades fire are suing a Los Angeles public utility company over “omissions” they say contributed to the fire’s devastation.
The lawsuit, filed last week on behalf of community residents and the pizzeria’s owner, accused the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power of failing to prepare for the Palisades fire and allowing a critical water supply to run dry before an inferno that attorneys said ” the worst natural disaster in the history of the city of Los Angeles,” according to court documents obtained by Fox News Digital.
“The water system serving Pacific Palisades has failed horribly, leaving residents and firefighters with little or no water to fight the fires,” said Roger Behle, an attorney who represents one of the Palisades Fire survivors and whose own family lost a home in the 2020 wildfire. in the press release.
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Santa Ynez Reservoir seen from above on Sept. 28, 2022. The reservoir, which serves the Pacific Palisades and Brentwood areas, is seen here with a cap to prevent evaporation. (Hayley Smith/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
“Santa Ynez Reservoirthe 117 million gallon water storage complex that is part of the Los Angeles water system was empty, and had been empty for almost a year,” Behle continued.
The lawsuit alleges that the Santa Ynez Reservoir was decommissioned in February 2024 by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and drained due to “water quality concerns” after a crack in the floating cap allowed debris, bird droppings and other objects to enter the intake. water.
By the time the Palisades fire broke out, necessary repairs had not been completed and the reservoir remained empty, leaving fire crews with “little or no water” to fight the flames, the lawsuit continues.
“LADWP made a conscious decision not to repair the Santa Ynez Reservoir cap in a timely manner, leaving the reservoir drained and unusable, all as a ‘cost-saving’ measure,” the attorneys allege.
Water is dropped by helicopter on the Palisades Fire in Mandeville Canyon on Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
The public purpose of draining the reservoir and leaving it empty was to “solicit contractor bids in lieu of using in-house personnel” to repair the reservoir, according to the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, the lawsuit said.
“The extent of the damage that resulted from the Palisades Fire far outweighed any benefit that could have been achieved by outsourcing and delaying repairs to the Santa Ynez Reservoir,” according to attorneys representing fire survivors.
California Governor Gavin Newsom ordered independent investigation to the LADWP on Jan. 10 regarding the loss of water pressure and the intentional closing of the reservoir, calling it “deeply troubling,” according to court records.
Newsom added that the loss of water pressure “probably reduced” the ability of firefighters to protect homes and evacuation zones in Pacific Palisades.
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Flames and smoke rise from buildings as the Palisades Fire burns during a storm on the west side of Los Angeles, California, USA, on January 8, 2025. (REUTERS/Ringo Chiu)
Los Angeles Fire Department Capt. Erik Scott said there were “water pressure challenges while we were fighting the Pacific Palisades fire” and that “the water pressure was not as high as we needed it to be,” the documents state.
The attorneys further 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,” LADWP was unprepared for the Palisades Fire.
“LADWP had a duty to properly construct, inspect, maintain and operate its water supply system. LADWP breached those duties,” the lawsuit alleges.
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Firefighters monitor the progress of the Palisades Fire in Mandeville Canyon Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)
Residents of Pacific Palisades are suing the public utility company for property damage and injuries suffered.
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“The Palisades fire was a traumatic event for its victims, who through no fault of their own were left homeless within hours,” the lawyers wrote, adding that the fire killed at least eight people, injured many civilians and firefighters, and destroyed at least 5,300 homes and businesses. space in Pacific Palisades, Malibu and Topanga Canyon.
Los Angeles Department of Water and Power i Newsom’s office did not immediately respond for comment.
