More than 20 Pacific Palisades residents have signed onto a lawsuit against the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power over a lack of water supply during January’s brush fire.
Twenty-five more Pacific Palisades residents who were affected by January’s deadly brush fire have joined a lawsuit against the City of Los Angeles and Los Angeles Department of Water and Power over the disaster.
A lawsuit filed on behalf of 23 residents in January accuses the city and department of having a failed water supply system in the coastal community that was ravaged by the blaze. On Wednesday, an additional 25 plaintiffs were added to the complaint.
The lawsuit alleges LADWP designed a water supply system that would not have enough water pressure to fight an urban wildfire. It also says the Santa Ynez Reservoir, which is located atop Pacific Palisades, had been empty since February of last year, leading to more difficulty in accessing water during the firefight.
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Following the fire, LADWP called on an independent engineer to assess if the empty reservoir contributed to the water system failure during the Palisades Fire.
NBC4 reached out to the mayor’s office for comment on the matter and have not heard back. LADWP said it does no comment on pending litigation.
Separately, the County of Los Angeles filed a lawsuit against Southern California Edison over Altadena’s Eaton Fire. The complaint alleges that the fire “started directly under SCE transmission lines in Eaton Canyon.”
The causes of both fires are still under investigation.
