Lawsuits for the Los Angeles fires are helping people get legal assistance to seek justice and compensation for losses in Pacific Palisades and other neighborhoods.
What You Can Do & How We Can Help
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting Palisades Fire induced injury cases in California. If you or somebody you know was injured or had property damage from the Los Angeles fires in January 2025, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Natural Disaster Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.
2025 Los Angeles Fires Destroy Pacific Palisades & Malibu
The Los Angeles Fires of January 2025 killed at least 28 people and burned 14,000 homes, businesses, or structures, destroying entire neighborhoods in Altadena, Pacific Palisades, Malibu, and other areas during extreme Santa Ana winds with gusts up to 70+ mph.
Palisades Fire: Key Statistics
Here are some key statistics for the Palisades Fire:
- Started On: January 7, 2025
- Acres Burned: 23,448 acres (75% contained as of January 23, 2025)
- Neighborhoods: Pacific Palisades, Malibu, Brentwood, Encino
- Structures: 7,700+ structures, homes, or businesses damaged or completely destroyed
- Deaths: 11 confirmed deaths (as of January 23, 2025)
- Evacuations: 153,000+ people evacuated
Palisades Fire Lawsuits Against L.A. Water Officials
Lawyers are investigating potential lawsuits against water officials in Los Angeles. No one knows what caused these fires, but experts are already very concerned about decisions by the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power that contributed to the Palisades fire.
For example, the department reduced the L.A. Fire Department’s budget by $17 million, failed to have enough water, drained the Santa Ynez Reservoir, and fire stations were poorly located to respond.
How Can A Lawsuit Help?
Victims of the Palisades Fire may be able to file a lawsuit and seek compensation for:
- Property damage
- Loss of business inventory and repairs
- Economic losses due to evacuation
- Emotional trauma and distress
- Physical injuries
- Wrongful death
- And more
Can I Join A Class Action Lawsuit?
Due to the widespread impact of the Palisades Fire, a class action lawsuit will likely be filed by victims who are seeking compensation for property damage and other economic losses. Class actions are designed to consolidate claims from a large group of people — but individual lawsuits will likely be filed for injuries and wrongful deaths.
What Happened?
At least 6 separate fires burned more than 62 square miles in Los Angeles County in January 2025. Fires destroyed or damaged at least 12,000 structures, and forced over 166,000 people to evacuate.
Even people who were far away from the fires were harmed by ash and smoke. Officials warned that ash from the fires can contain lead, arsenic, asbestos, and other toxic materials that pose health hazards.
List of Los Angeles Fires in January 2025
CalFire has provided a List of 2025 Fire Incidents, including the following fires in Los Angeles that began in January 2025:
- Pacific Palisades Fire — 23,448 acres burned (not contained), at least 11 deaths, 7,700+ homes and structures destroyed, beach mansions along Malibu coastline / PCH
- Eaton Fire (Altadena) — 14,021 acres burned (95% contained), at least 17 deaths, 9,400+ homes and businesses burned, damaged, or destroyed in the city of Altadena
- Kenneth Fire — 1,052 acres burned
- Hurst Fire — 799 acres burned
- Lidia Fire — 395 acres burned
- Sunset Fire — 43 acres burned
- Woodley Fire — 30 acres
Why Were The Los Angeles Fires So Bad?
There are several reasons why the Los Angeles fires were so severe and deadly, such as:
- Lack of water — Firefighters said some hydrants quickly ran dry in Pacific Palisades and that the Santa Ynez Reservoir was empty
- Unusually dry weather conditions (no rain in over 8 months)
- Large amount of fuel and dry vegetation on the ground due to winter season (January 2024)
- Santa Ana winds — Fires started during a powerful, warm and dry windstorm lasting several days
Fire Hydrants Ran Dry During Palisades Fire Fight
Firefighters said they ran out of water to fight the Pacific Palisades fire because some of the hydrants lost water pressure within hours. One problem was that the Santa Ynez Reservoir was empty.
Why Was The Reservoir Dry?
The reservoir can hold 117 million gallons of water and it is supposed to be the water supply for the Pacific Palisades, but it was drained in February 2024 to allow for repairs to the anti-evaporation cover.
No repairs were ever made, and the reservoir remained completely dry for nearly a year. When the fire broke out in January 2025, firefighters had to use water from three backup tanks, each holding only about 1 million gallons each. They ran out of water within hours.
Another Fire Hazard: Unusually Dry Weather Conditions
January is an unusual time for wildfires because it is in the middle of the rainy season in Southern California, but Los Angeles was extremely dry. There was almost no rain for over 8 months, since the previous spring in early 2024.
The rainy weather has been abnormal for years, with the previous two rainy seasons (2022 and 2023) being some of the wettest winters on record in Southern California — but oddly, they were followed by one of the driest rainy seasons in 2024. By January 2025, most regions were in moderate or severe drought.
Dry Vegetation in January Can Fuel Massive Fires
The fires in Los Angeles also had a lot of fuel to burn due to the time of the year and lack of rain. There was a massive amount of tinder-dry grasses and leaf piles, pine needles, dead plants, and dry wood.
Southern California is also home to one of the most fire-prone types of native vegetation, called chaparral, which consists of shrubs, bushes, and small trees, some of which are coated in highly-flammable oils.
Santa Ana Winds Create Extremely Dangerous Fire Hazard
Fierce Santa Ana winds are another risk-factor for fires in Southern California. These winds can fuel fires that are extremely dangerous when they occur at the same time as drought conditions in the winter.
Santa Ana winds, also known as “devil winds,” are powerful winds that are extremely dry and usually warm. They blow westward from desert areas in Nevada and Utah toward the coastline of Southern California.
Santa Ana winds usually occur in the autumn and winter, coinciding with the rainy season. They can spark fires by knocking down power lines. Fierce winds can also cause power lines to slap together and shed small balls of super-hot molten metal onto dry vegetation below.
Wildfire Lawsuits Against Utility Companies
Utility companies can prepare for “Red Flag” fire conditions by turning off electricity. De-energizing power lines reduces the risk of falling branches, trees, or power lines sparking wildfires in high winds.
In recent years, lawsuits have forced utility companies to pay billions of dollars for wildfires in California. Utilities have been held responsible for failing to maintain equipment, failing to cut back trees and plants, or failing to turn off electricity.
Do I Have a Palisades Fire Lawsuit?
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting Palisades Fire induced injury cases in California. If you or somebody you know was injured or had property damage from the Los Angeles fires in January 2025, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Natural Disaster Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.
Attention Lawyers: We consider a referral from another law firm to be one of the greatest compliments. If your firm is interested in referring us a case or for us to send you a list of previous award judgments and/or average referral fees, please visit the Lawyer Referral section of our website.