Television personality Heidi Montag and her husband, Spencer Pratt, filed a lawsuit Tuesday against the city of Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, according to the Los Angeles Times, alleging the city and utility department are at fault for damage to their home, which was destroyed in the Palisades Fire.
The lawsuit including Montag and other Pacific Palisades residents was filed Tuesday. (Photo by ... [+]
The lawsuit blamed the city and the utility’s management of its water supply and emergency response infrastructure for causing damage to properties of Montag, Pratt and 20 other “owners, tenants and individuals” impacted by the Palisades Fire, according to the Times.
The suit specifically alleges inverse condemnation, a concept used by property owners who claim a government entity has taken an action resulting in damage to the property—the concept also seeks just compensation.
Lawyers for Montag and other claimants pointed out the Santa Ynez Reservoir, a reservoir near the Palisades that was offline and empty for repairs while the Palisades Fire ignited and spread.
The complaint scrutinized the local water supply system further, according to the Times, claiming LADWP made “the conscious decision to operate the water supply system with the reservoir drained and unusable as a ‘cost-saving’ measure.”
Montag and Pratt announced on Jan. 8 the Palisades Fire destroyed their home, which was valued around $3.8 million as of this month.
The LAWDP did not immediately respond to Forbes’ request for comment.
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The Times noted experts have said the municipal water systems in place in the Palisades were not equipped for the strength of the Palisades Fire, which was made significantly worse by extremely strong winds that stopped first responders from safely operating water-dumping helicopters and planes in the early stages of the fire.
“On information and belief, the Palisades Fire was an inescapable and unavoidable consequence of the water supply system servicing areas in and around Pacific Palisades as it was planned and constructed,” the lawsuit reportedly said. “The system necessarily failed, and this failure was a substantial factor in causing Plaintiffs to suffer the losses alleged in this Complaint.”
Actors such as Miles Teller, John C. Reilly and Mel GIbson lost their homes in the blaze, while other public figures like comedian Pete Lee, "Shark Tank" investor Barbara Corcoran and Paris Hilton also had their homes destroyed. (See the full list here).
The Palisades Fire is one of several fires that have scorched Los Angeles in the last two weeks and is still not fully contained. The fires, which also ignited in communities like Altadena, Hollywood and Sylmar, have collectively burned through more than 40,000 acres and killed at least 28 people. The historic natural disaster materialized amid dry conditions and hurricane force winds in the drought stricken region of Los Angeles, which received effectively no rain in the months leading up to the fires.
California Wildfire Updates: NWS Warns Of ‘Dangerous Fire Day’ As New Hughes Fire Burns (Forbes)