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Liability for the Palisades Fire – Wildfire Lawsuit Lawyers


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The Palisades Fire, which started on January 7, 2025, has burned for nearly a week. The fire reportedly started at approximately 10:30am near 1190 North Piedra Morada Drive. At that time, wind speeds reached 40mph, causing the fire to quickly spread to approximately 200 acres. Less than one day later, the fire burned over 5,000 acres. Less than a week later, the Palisades Fire has burned over 23,700 acres. Thousands of structures, including schools, businesses, and homes were destroyed by the fire. Countless other structures were damaged. Multiple deaths have been confirmed, although the number of fatalities will likely increase as inspections continue.

As more details arise, the community has been left with even more questions. For instance, there were reports that firefighters ran out of water and could not fight the flames. Some of the questions that we have received include the following:

  • How can a reservoir in one of the most dangerous fire zones not have sufficient water?
  • Why was the reservoir down for repairs so long?
  • Why was there such a delay in getting a response to fight the wildfire?
  • Can the city or county be liable for damage caused by the wildfire?
  • Can the fire department be liable?
  • Did SoCal Edison or LADWP play a role in the wildfire?

If you have been affected by the Palisades Fire or any other recent L.A. County wildfire, you might benefit from discussing your situation with our legal team and learning more about the legal options available to you and your family.

The Downtown L.A. Law Group is Ready to Help You! – We understand how difficult it is to suddenly lose your home and everything in it. Losing everything you have ever worked for is devastating. Here at our firm, we are committed to supporting those affected by the wildfires. Whether you are looking for resources or you are looking into taking legal action against a liable party or entity, we can help you. For more information, please do not hesitate to reach out to our legal team as soon as possible.

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A Review of Some of the Possible Causes of Wildfires

A combination of severe wind conditions and dry conditions due to a lack of rain created the perfect scenario for wildfire to spread. Although the cause of the Palisades Fire remains under investigation, many people have questions about the cause of the fire. In the past, wildfires have been caused by arson and even by the defective equipment of utility companies.

The Community Feels They Have Been Failed

Without a doubt, emotions are high. Countless homes were completely burned to the ground. Homes that are still standing sustained significant damage and are uninhabitable. Essentially, entire communities have been displaced as a result of the fire. Many people were enraged when they learned that firefighters watched their homes burn because they did not have any water to fight the blaze.

Below, we will discuss some of the concerns faced by the community, including the empty reservoir, the slow response time, and utility company failures and contributions to wildfires.

Failure to Keep the Reservoir Filled: How Can a Reservoir in one of the Most Dangerous Fire Zones not have Enough Water?

The Santa Ynez Reservoir, located in the Palisades Highlands, was reportedly offline during the Palisades Fire – which is quickly becoming a historic wildfire in LA County. The reservoir has a 117-million-gallon capacity.

The reservoir was reportedly closed for repairs since about February 2024; therefore, it could not be used to battle the Palisades Fire. A former LADWP official stated that access to the reservoir may have helped with the firefight early on, but it may not have been enough as “it would not have lasted the whole fire.” Still, many people are upset that the reservoir has been empty for so long for seemingly minor repairs.

Governor Gavin Newson was directed an investigation into different reports, including the unavailability of water supplies from this reservoir.

The LADWP has made a statement regarding the reservoir and the lack of access to fight the fires. They stated that “LADWP was required to take the Santa Ynez Reservoir out of service to meet safe drinking water regulations.”

Why have reservoir repairs taken so long? Reportedly, extended repair times are due to outsourcing repairs to contractors. Some have said that the repairs should have been completed in-house. Reportedly, the reservoir was scheduled to be reopened this February, a whole year after it was closed.

Failure to Quickly Respond to the Palisades Fire: Why Did They have such a Delay in Getting a Response?

According to initial media conferences, firefighters were positioned in high-risk areas ready to address any fires that occurred during the severe wind conditions. However, fire departments were ready to battle one or two wildfires – not four. On the first day of the severe wind conditions, four wildfires ignited, with two of them being among the largest L.A. County has ever seen. Therefore, resources were stretched thin. In addition, at some elevations, firefighters battling the Palisades Fire lost water pressure in hydrants, so they essentially did not have any water to fight the fire. Regarding this issue, the LADWP said that “the water system serving the Pacific Palisades area…meets all federal and state fire codes for urban development and housing. [They] built the Pacific Palisades water system beyond the requirements to support the community’s typical needs.”

Reportedly, the water pressure in the upper Palisades are sustained with three storage tanks each holding 1 million gallons of water. The tanks are located at higher elevations in the neighborhood; water is pumped to the tanks and then flows down by gravity, allowing pressure to be maintained. These tanks had gone dry by 3am Wednesday. According to LADWP’s Chief Executive, Janisse Quiñones, the tanks simply could not be refilled fast enough as demand at lower elevations prevented the ability to pump water to the tanks at higher elevations. Quiñones stated that they had four times the usual demand for water over a 15-hour period, leading to drops in water pressure.

Understanding Liability for Wildfires

If wildfires are caused or worsened by the negligence of certain entities, these entities could be found liable and could be sued. Some of the entities that could potentially be liable for wildfires could include the following:

  • Utility companies
  • City and county entities
  • The fire department

In summary, the actions – or lack of actions of these entities – could have directly contributed to the devastation of the fire. It is important to note that, since the fire remains under investigation, liability cannot yet be determined.

So, how can these entities be liable? Liability for wildfires can be very complex.

First, let’s consider utility companies. In the past, electric companies have been found liable for causing fires. Many people have questions about whether Sothern California Edison had anything to do with the fires igniting. In the past, high voltage power lines or other equipment has caused sparks and have ultimately resulted in fires. Because of such a significant risk of wildfires related with power companies like SCE, it is important for these utility companies to ensure that they frequently test and inspect their equipment, that equipment always meets safety requirements, and that equipment is powered off in high-risk areas during severe weather conditions. When SCE fails to act appropriately, they can be found liable and can be sued.

What about LADWP? As previously explained, there were issues with water pressure and water supply in the starts of the Palisades Fire, which essentially resulted in the entire community being destroyed. Since LADWP is responsible for ensuring that water hydrants have necessary supply/pressure, this utility company could potentially be found liable for failing to ensure that there was enough water pressure in hydrants.

How can city and county entities be liable? These entities could be liable for poorly designed water systems, failing to call for reinforcements quickly, failing to call for additional resources, failing to issue necessary evacuation warnings and orders, and more. Based on the specific entity, there will be a specific responsibility or duty owed to the public. When these entities fail to exercise said responsibility, they can be liable and can be sued.

How can the fire department be liable? In general, fire departments have immunity from liability. However, they can be found liable if they either acted negligently or recklessly during their response to a fire emergency and caused further damage due to their actions (or inaction). If the fire department was negligent in any way, they could be sued.

Without a doubt, it could be very difficult to determine liability for such traumatic incidents. To ensure that you have a thorough understanding of liability for the Palisades Fire and the legal options available to you, please do not hesitate to reach out to our legal team as soon as possible.

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Contact the Downtown L.A. Law Group Today

As the situation with the Palisades Fire is still developing, new details are likely to emerge. To ensure that you have a thorough understanding of liability for the Palisades Fire, contact us today. Our experienced wildfire lawsuit lawyers are more than ready to provide you with all the information that you need. Our team is fully committed to fighting for the rights of those affected by recent Los Angeles County wildfires.

Free Case Evaluations: our firm is committed to remaining accessible to all, so we offer free case evaluations. These free case evaluations include free consultations and free second opinions. Our expert wildfire attorneys will be available to answer all your questions and address all your concerns. Our team will ensure that you have all the information that you need to pursue your claim. To ensure that you have a thorough understanding of the legal options available to you, contact us today.

Zero-Fee Guarantee: you can contact us without ever having to worry about paying any upfront legal costs. In addition, our law firm works on a contingency structure, meaning that our clients will not be required to pay anything if their claims are not successful. If you do not win, you will not have to worry about paying anything at all.

Contact us today to learn more about liability for wildfires and the legal options available to you.


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