More than a dozen victims of the Palisades fire are suing the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, accusing the public utility of failing to manage water supplies that they say hampered firefighters' ability to combat the deadly blaze.
Newsweek contacted Roger Behle, one of the plaintiffs' attorneys, and LADWP for comment via email outside regular business hours.
Why It Matters
Elected officials and utilities have come under fierce criticism for their handling of fires that have ravaged the Los Angeles area since January 7, destroying thousands of homes.
The lawsuit comes amid investigations into the cause of the fires and whether firefighters had the supplies crucial to battling them.
What To Know
The Palisades fire, the most destructive blaze in Los Angeles history, has killed at least eight people, burned 23,700 acres and devastated the affluent Pacific Palisades neighborhood, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection reported.
On Monday, the law firms Robertson & Associates and Foley Bezek Behle & Curtis filed a lawsuit in the Los Angeles Superior Court against LADWP over its management of water supplies.
Behle, an attorney for a plaintiff in the suit, said in a statement: "The water supply system servicing Pacific Palisades failed miserably, leaving residents and firefighters with little to no water to fight the blaze."
In a statement posted on its website before the lawsuit was filed, LADWP said the water supply had "remained strong" in the area during the fire but that water pressure in the system "was lost due to unprecedented and extreme water demand to fight the wildfire without aerial support."
The lawsuit also said LADWP should have maintained water in the nearby Santa Ynez Reservoir, which can hold as much as 117 million gallons of water. According to the suit, the reservoir had been empty since February 2024. It alleged that LADWP delayed repair work on the reservoir to cut costs.
"Had the LADWP acted responsibly, the damage caused by the Palisades Fire could have been greatly reduced," the lawsuit said.
In its statement, the LAWDP said the loss of water pressure in the system had affected its ability to refill three water tanks supplying the area.
"This impacted … a low percentage of hydrants in the area, mostly in the higher elevations," the statement said. "As soon as LADWP identified the risk of losing water in the tanks and water pressure in the system, we immediately deployed potable water tankers to sustain support for firefighting efforts."
The statement also said the utility was required to take the reservoir "out of service to meet safe drinking water regulations. To commission the support and resources to implement repairs to Santa Ynez, LADWP is subject to the city charter's competitive bidding process which requires time."
On Friday, California Governor Gavin Newsom announced an investigation into reports that firefighters had struggled to get enough water, and water pressure, to battle the fire.
Multiple lawsuits were also filed on Monday against the utility company Southern California Edison over the alleged role the company's equipment played in starting the Eaton fire near Pasadena.
What People Are Saying
Behle said in a statement issued on Tuesday: "LADWP made the conscious decision not to timely repair the Santa Ynez Reservoir cover, leaving the reservoir drained and unusable, all as a 'cost-saving' measure. As a result, residents in one of the most affluent and highest-taxed areas in the nation were denied one of the most basic things a government should provide: water."
The attorney also told the Daily Journal: "Some say 110 million gallons in the Santa Ynez Reservoir wouldn't have saved everything, but if it saved even one house or reduced damage to 10 houses, that water should have been there."
In a letter addressed to the leadership of the LADWP and LA County Public Works and dated January 10, Newsom said: "I have directed state water and firefighting officials to prepare an independent after-incident report examining the causes of lost water supply and water pressure in municipal water systems during the fire events, and to identify measures that local governments can implement to provide adequate water supply for emergency response during future catastrophic events."
LADWP said in the statement issued before the lawsuit: "As we face the impacts of climate change and build climate resilience, we welcome a review and update of these codes and requirements if city water systems will be used to fight extreme wildfires. LADWP is initiating our own investigation about water resiliency and how we can enhance our posture to respond to the impacts of climate change."
What Happens Next
Firefighters are continuing to fight the Palisades fire, which was 18 percent contained as of Tuesday night. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is investigating the cause of the fire.
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