Over a dozen victims of the Pacific Palisades Fire are suing the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) for “failures” they claim contributed to the fire’s devastation. The lawsuit alleges that LADWP’s decision to leave a critical water supply dry for nearly a year and its lack of preparation for the fire were catastrophic.
According to the lawsuit, the Santa Ynez Reservoir, which serves the Pacific Palisades and Brentwood areas, was empty for nearly a year due to a tear in the floating cover. The required repair work was not completed by the time the fire broke out, leaving firefighters with “little to no water” to fight the flames. Attorneys representing the fire survivors argue that the decision to outsource and delay repairs was a “cost-saving” measure, rather than addressing the critical water supply issue.
The lawsuit also alleges that the LADWP failed to act on dire warnings from the National Weather Service, despite knowing about the potential for rapid fire spread and extreme fire behavior. This failure, coupled with the lack of water pressure, impaired the ability of firefighters to protect homes and evacuation zones.
The Los Angeles Fire Department also reported “challenges with water pressure while battling the Pacific Palisades fire” and water “pressure wasn’t quite what we needed.” California Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered an independent investigation of the LADWP, calling the loss of water pressure “deeply troubling” and adding that it likely impaired the ability of firefighters to protect homes and evacuation zones.
The residents of the Pacific Palisades are suing LADWP for property damage and personal injuries suffered during the fire. The lawsuit is seeking damages and seeks to hold LADWP accountable for their alleged failures that contributed to the devastation.
