The couple, who rose to fame thanks to the show The Hillsand spin-off of Laguna Beachfiled the lawsuit Tuesday along with more than 20 other homeowners and residents who were affected by the Palisades fire. The complaint accuses Los Angeles and its municipal water department of being responsible for water problems that hampered firefighting efforts, and claims it ultimately led to the damage to their properties.
The Eaton and Palisades fires, sparked by high winds during one of the region’s driest years on record, have killed 28 people and destroyed more than 12,000 structures, putting them among the world’s wildest fires the most destructive in California history.
Dry hydrants and water pressure problems have received particular attention and resulted in a series of lawsuits against the city and the Department of Water and Power. Los Angeles. California Governor Gavin Newsom has called for an independent investigation into the Los Angeles water department.
The complaint filed by the couple and others mentions that the Santa Ynez Reservoir, which serves the Pacific Palisades neighborhood, had been out of service since February 2024 awaiting repairs. The neighborhood’s fire hydrants were connected to three tanks holding a million gallons (3.7 million liters) of water each and ran dry within 12 hours, the complaint says, citing Janisse Quiñones, general director and chief engineer of the water company.
Without water from the tank, firefighters had to rely on water tanks, which were not designed to fight a fire of this magnitude, according to the complaint.
The city and water company did not immediately respond to emailed requests for comment.
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While repairs to the reservoir were requested in January 2024, the water company told the Los Angeles Times they would not be completed until April or May 2025.
The lawsuit calls the Palisades fire an “unavoidable and unavoidable consequence” of the water system operated by the city and water company.
“The system necessarily failed, and that failure was a substantial factor in plaintiffs suffering the losses alleged in this complaint,” the indictment reads.
The plaintiffs invoke the principle known as “reverse condemnation,” which is the same mechanism that requires utility companies to pay for damage caused by their equipment during wildfires.
