Los Angeles utility sued for Palisades Fire water shortage, court filing shows

(Reuters) -The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power was sued on Monday on claims that it failed to properly manage water supplies critical to fighting the deadly Palisades Fire, which has killed at least eight people and destroyed thousands of structures, a court filing showed.

The lawsuit, filed on behalf of residents and others affected by the historic blaze that destroyed the West Los Angeles community of Pacific Palisades, says LADWP should have maintained water in a nearby reservoir, which was dry at the time the fire first erupted last Tuesday.

“The Palisades Fire has been a traumatic event for its victims, who through no fault of their own, went from homeowners to homeless in a matter of hours,” according to the complaint, filed by law firm Robertson & Associates in Los Angeles Superior Court.

Governor Gavin Newsom last week called for an investigation into the handling of water resources by LADWP, which is the largest U.S. municipal utility.

LADWP CEO Janisse Quinones said the demand to fight water at lower elevations was impeding the ability of the city to refill water tanks at higher elevations. LADWP said it had filled all available water tanks in the city ahead of the windstorm that perpetuated the rapid spread of the fires.

Three water storage tanks were exhausted within a day of the fires starting, Quinones said last week in a press briefing.