Residents Sue Over Alleged Mismanagement in Palisades Wildfire

Residents of Los Angeles have filed a lawsuit against city authorities, accusing municipal utility power lines of igniting the deadly Palisades wildfire. The lawsuit claims misinformation about power line status and improper reservoir maintenance hindered firefighting efforts. Residents seek damages for property losses.

Los Angeles residents impacted by the Palisades wildfire have launched a lawsuit against city authorities, alleging that municipal utility power lines were responsible for igniting the catastrophic blaze. Filed on Monday, the lawsuit challenges earlier claims reported in a Washington Post article regarding the status of power lines.

Last week, city counsel admitted that earlier statements were incorrect, agreeing that the power lines were, in fact, energized at the time the fire started. However, LADWP maintains that no faults were detected at the time. The case further accuses the department of draining critical reservoirs, hindering firefighting efforts.

The fire devastated neighborhoods such as Pacific Palisades and Altadena, resulting in 29 fatalities and more than 16,000 damaged or destroyed structures. The residents are seeking significant damages, with claims that utility mismanagement amplified the destruction. Requests for comments from LADWP went unanswered.

(With inputs from agencies.)