The revised lawsuit filed Wednesday on behalf of thousands of Palisade fire victims said new information collected from official records should be better prepared for the wildfires by the city of Los Angeles and its Water and Power Bureau.
Corrected complaints such as Grigsby. The city of Los Angeles includes allegations that the Palisades Highlands DWP failed to inspect the 117 million gallon reservoir between 2021 and 2023, and the reservoir was still growing when it finally emptied, as the reservoir had to be drained in 2024.
“The city’s manual says that if tears are found early, they can be repaired without draining the reservoir. That’s what should have happened if they did the job,” said lawyer Alexander “Trey” Robertson.
Some of the fire hydrants were dry on the first day of the fire, and by the second day, the Palisade’s three small, 1 million gallon water tanks were gone, and the officials said they couldn’t refill quickly enough to be effective.
Santay Nez Reservoir was one of several missteps outlined in the updated lawsuit, and Robertson said he hopes to demonstrate that even if others or events lit the fire, the city was unable to take the necessary actions to protect the safety of its neighborhoods.
“Under California law, we can hold them accountable as long as we can prove that DWP is not the sole cause, but a cause that contributes to property damage and loss of life,” he said.
The DWP said it had several weeks to respond to the latest complaints in court and was aware of the new submission in a statement late Wednesday.
“Our minds remain with everyone affected by the Palisade fire, and we are tirelessly working to rebuild and recover from this terrible tragedy,” the spokesperson emailed.
“As I said before, LADWP understands the enormous destruction caused by the fire seeking compensation from the insured and responsible persons and the rights of affected property owners. However, there is no evidence to support the allegations that the complaint played a role in launching the LADWP fire.
Information behind some of the expanded claims filed by fire victims this week has emerged from thousands of pages of DWP, city and state records. Robertson said he got it through requests made under California’s public records laws.
“We’re exploding transformers. Power lines slapped together and arced, sending a shower of sparks to the ground while civilians try to evacuate on foot,” Robertson said, increasing the possibility that a series of devastating events ignored additional fires in the burn zone before power was cut.
The DWP said the power to the area was closed much earlier than was allegedly filed by the court, and that the area’s circuits were specifically armed if short or other obstacles were detected in strong winds.
“Most of the revised complaints filed are not new and will be carried out against the information and data we have shared with the plaintiff over the past few months,” the DWP said in a statement.
The amended complaint also alleged that a helicopter that drove water was flying far from the fire service and reloaded, reducing its effectiveness and the city failed to comply with the brush clearance rules for public property, which are said to have encouraged some of the fire spread.
“People are so angry, and for the past six months, that anger hasn’t gone away, and it’s getting worse because we haven’t seen anyone take accountability.
He said many of his clients had cancelled homeowners’ insurance in the months before the fire, while others have not taken the insurance to account for the costs of the current reconstruction, and that resolving the suit through financial recovery or settlement is the only way to become a whole.
“No one who lived in Palisades expected the entire town to burn out and dry out the fire hydrant for three days. Firefighters are standing vaguely saying there’s nothing we can do to save your home and save your business,” he said.
“This particular fire, I’ve never seen the rage from the community as high as this.”
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