Palisades fire victims sue LA water department over water supply issues

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Karah Rucker Anchor

By Karah Rucker (Anchor), Jodie Hawkins (Senior Producer), Ian Kennedy (Lead Video Editor)

More than a dozen victims of the Pacific Palisades wildfire are suing the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power for water supply failures, which they say contributed to the devastation. The lawsuit comes as the utility company and elected officials face scrutiny for their handling of the deadly fires that destroyed as many as 12,000 structures.

The Palisades fire is the most destructive in the city’s history.

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Residents who lost their homes and a restaurant owner whose business was destroyed are named in the complaint.

They blame the water department for hydrants drying up just hours into firefighters battling the flames.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass confirmed last week up to 20% of the city’s hydrants went dry and on Thursday night, Jan. 9, firefighters had stopped tapping into hydrants entirely. Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Kristin Crowley told local media the city failed her department.

The lawsuit blamed the empty nearby Santa Ynez Reservoir for the hydrants’ quick depletion. It also criticized the utility company for not repairing it in a “timely” manner after it got shut down in February 2024 for repairs and claimed it knew about the extreme fire danger from the Santa Ana winds.

LADWP response

Before the lawsuit, LADWP defended its system capabilities under mounting criticism. The department said in a statement, that it was required to take the reservoir out of service to meet safe drinking water regulations and that the city is subject to solicit bids from various contractors for repairs, which takes time.

The company also said, “unprecedented and extreme water demand to fight the wildfire without aerial support” caused a lack of water pressure.

It acknowledged some hydrants in high elevations were impacted but it “immediately deployed potable water tankers” to support firefighting.

Liability for utility companies

California utility companies can face criminal penalties due to environmental violations or negligence.

During the deadly Zogg fire in 2020, Pacific Gas and Electric Company was charged with four felony counts of involuntary manslaughter and three felony counts of recklessly starting a fire after a tree fell onto its electrical lines that had already been identified as a hazard.

The charges were eventually dropped after the company agreed to pay a $50 million fine.

While utility companies as a whole have faced fines and penalties, it is possible under California law for individuals within those companies to face jail time if their actions or inaction contribute to a crime.

Gov. Gavin Newsom, who’s also under scrutiny for the city’s wildfire response, ordered an investigation into the causes behind the water issues.

Tags: building fire, California, Gavin Newsom, Karen Bass, Lawsuit, Los Angeles, Pacific Palisades, Water shortages, Wildfire

[Karah]

MORE THAN A DOZEN VICTIMS OF THE PACIFIC PALISADES WILDFIRE ARE SUING THE LOS ANGELES DEPARTMENT OF WATER AND POWER FOR WATER SUPPLY FAILURES – THEY SAY CONTRIBUTED TO THE DEVASTATION.

THE LAWSUIT COMES AS THE UTILITY COMPANY AND ELECTED OFFICIALS FACE SCRUTINY FOR HOW THEY’VE HANDLED THE DEADLY FIRES THAT HAVE DESTROYED AS MANY AS 12-THOUSAND STRUCTURES … WITH THE PALISADES FIRE BEING THE MOST DESTRUCTIVE IN THE CITY’S HISTORY.

RESIDENTS WHO LOST THEIR HOMES AND A RESTAURANT OWNER WHOSE BUSINESS WAS DESTROYED ARE NAMED IN THE COMPLAINT.

THEY BLAME THE WATER DEPARTMENT FOR HYDRANTS DRYING UP JUST HOURS INTO FIREFIGHTERS BATTLING THE FLAMES.

L-A MAYOR KAREN BASS CONFIRMED LAST WEEK UP TO 20 PERCENT OF THE CITY’S HYDRANTS WENT DRY AND ON THURSDAY NIGHT FIREFIGHTERS HAD STOPPED TAPPING INTO HYDRANTS ENTIRELY … WITH L-A-F-D CHIEF KRISTIN CROWLEY TELLING LOCAL MEDIA THE CITY FAILED HER DEPARTMENT.

THE LAWSUIT BLAMES THE EMPTY NEARBY SANTA YNEZ RESERVOIR FOR THE HYDRANTS’ QUICK DEPLETION, CRITICIZING THE UTILITY COMPANY FOR NOT REPAIRING IT IN A “TIMELY” MANNER AFTER IT GOT SHUT DOWN IN FEBRUARY 20-24 FOR REPAIRS … CLAIMING IT KNEW ABOUT THE EXTREME FIRE DANGER FROM THE SANTA ANA WINDS.

BEFORE THE LAWSUIT – L-A-D-W-P DEFENDED ITS SYSTEM CAPABILITIES UNDER MOUNTING CRITICISM … SAYING IT WAS REQUIRED TO TAKE THE RESERVOIR OUT OF SERVICE TO MEET SAFE DRINKING WATER REGULATIONS AND THAT THE CITY IS SUBJECT TO SOLICIT BIDS FROM VARIOUS CONTRACTORS FOR REPAIRS, WHICH TAKES TIME.

THE COMPANY ALSO SAID IN ITS STATEMENT … “UNPRECEDENTED AND EXTREME WATER DEMAND TO FIGHT THE WILDFIRE WITHOUT AERIAL SUPPORT” CAUSED LACK OF WATER PRESSURE.

IT ACKNOWLEDGED SOME HYDRANTS IN HIGH ELEVATIONS WERE IMPACTED BUT IT “IMMEDIATELY DEPLOYED POTABLE WATER TANKERS” TO SUPPORT FIREFIGHTING.

CALIFORNIA UTILITY COMPANIES CAN FACE CRIMINAL PENALTIES DUE TO ENVIRONMENTAL VIOLATIONS OR NEGLIGENCE.

IN 20-20’S DEADLY ZOGG FIRE IN CALIFORNIA … PACIFIC GAS AND ELECTRIC COMPANY WAS CHARGED WITH FOUR FELONY COUNTS OF INVOLUNTARY MANSLAUGHTER AND THREE FELONY COUNTS OF RECKLESSLY STARTING A FIRE AFTER A TREE FELL ONTO ITS ELECTRICAL LINES THAT HAD ALREADY BEEN IDENTIFIED AS A HAZARD.

THE CHARGES WERE EVENTUALLY DROPPED AFTER THE COMPANY AGREED TO PAY A 50 MILLION DOLLAR FINE.

WHILE UTILITY COMPANIES AS A WHOLE HAVE FACED FINES AND PENALTIES … IT IS POSSIBLE UNDER CALIFORNIA LAW FOR INDIVIDUALS WITHIN THOSE COMPANIES TO FACE JAIL TIME IF THEIR ACTIONS OR INACTIONS CONTRIBUTE TO A CRIME.

GOVERNOR GAVIN NEWSOM WHO’S ALSO UNDER SCRUTINY FOR THE CITY’S WILDFIRE RESPONSE … ORDERED AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE CAUSES BEHIND THE WATER ISSUES.

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