Residents and businesses in Pacific Palisades affected by the Palisades Fire have filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles against the city’s Department of Water and Power (LADWP). The suit accuses the city and the agency of being unprepared for the devastating fire.
The complaint, submitted to the California Superior Court on Monday, seeks compensation for damages, including costs for repairing or replacing damaged property, alternative living expenses, lost wages, diminished earning capacity or profits, and any additional relief deemed appropriate by the court.
According to the lawsuit, “The water supply system serving areas in and around Pacific Palisades at the time of the Palisades Fire failed, and this failure significantly contributed to the losses suffered by the plaintiffs.”
The complaint highlights that the Santa Ynez Reservoir, a 117-million-gallon water storage facility critical to the Los Angeles water supply system, was empty, leaving firefighters with insufficient water to combat the blaze effectively.
Additionally, the suit claims that despite urgent warnings from the National Weather Service about a “Particularly Dangerous Condition — Red Flag Warning” indicating critical fire weather with the potential for rapid spread and extreme fire behavior, LADWP failed to adequately prepare for the fire.
