The recent Palisades Fire has impacted hundreds of thousands of residents in Los Angeles County. According to the LA County sheriff, more than 300,000 citizens across the affected area have been asked to move to safer places. Some blame DEI hires, others blame PG&E and Governor Newsom. We blame everyone till they can prove otherwise. Either way, at least 25 wrongful deaths have been reported, and that is our specialty!

Here are the fires so far by location reported, based on recent information:

• Palisades Fire – Located in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles County, coastal, between Santa Monica and Malibu.
• Eaton Fire – Burning in the hills above Altadena, northeast of Los Angeles.
• Hurst Fire – Situated in Sylmar, in the northern San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles.
• Woodley Fire – In the Sepulveda Basin in Los Angeles’ west San Fernando Valley.
• Sunset Fire – In the Hollywood Hills, specifically around Runyon Canyon.
• Lidia Fire – Broke out in the mountainous Acton area north of Los Angeles in the Antelope Valley.
• Kenneth Fire – Located in West Hills, Los Angeles’ west San Fernando Valley.
• Olivas Fire – Northwest of Los Angeles in Ventura County, although it has been contained.

These fires have varied in size, containment, and impact, with the Palisades and Eaton fires being among the most significant in damage and evacuation orders.

Ehline Law and our personal injury attorneys have created this guide for the victims of the Palisades Fire to guide them on their rights and possible legal options.

Pacific Palisades in the Los Angeles Area Succumbs to Wildfires!

On January 7, 2025, dry conditions and powerful winds caused wildfires to erupt and spread across the Los Angeles area, burning down hundreds of homes and killing at least 10 residents.

According to the Los Angeles Fire Department, this is the first time LA County experienced one of the most devastating and terrifying nights in recent history.

Where Did the Recent California Wildfires Erupt?

As days pass, authorities reveal new information that isn’t reassuring. The extent of damage caused by the California wildfires has yet to be determined.

So far, here is what we know about the fires that erupted across Los Angeles, Southern California:

The Palisades Fire

The Palisades Fire roared through Pacific Palisades, an affluent residential neighborhood nestled between the Pacific Ocean and the Santa Monica mountains, on January 7, 2025. It burned down 19,978 acres of land, causing devastation everywhere it touched.

Officials have reported that they’ve only contained 6% of the Palisades Fire, with efforts by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection underway. It’s said to be one of the most destructive fires in the history of The Golden State.

The Eaton Fire

On the same day the Palisades Fire erupted, the Eaton Fire ignited north of downtown Los Angeles and gradually incinerated 13,690 acres of national forest land.

According to the Los Angeles Fire Department, it’s still not contained and could potentially burn down 5,000 structures or more.

The Hurst Fire

At the same time when the Eaton Fire erupted, the Hurst Fire blazed through the neighborhood north of San Fernando.

Officials state that it started as a small bushfire and eventually engulfed more than 500 acres of land by January 9, 2025. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection has contained 37% of the Hurst Fire.

The Lidia Fire

On January 8, 2025, Lidia Fire started in Acton, a small residential community between the LA mountainous regions.

Although officials recorded it as the smallest wildfire in Los Angeles County, it didn’t shy away from setting 348 acres of land ablaze. Fortunately, the firefighters could contain most (75%) of it.

The Kenneth Fire

The Los Angeles Woodland Hills area experienced the Kenneth Fire on January 9, 2025, which roared through 960 acres of land near the Calabasas neighborhood.

Since the wildfire has stopped moving forward and officials believe there is no chance of it further spreading to other regions, minimal efforts have been made to contain it.

The Sunset Fire

On January 8, 2025, the Sunset Fire erupted in the Hollywood Hills of Los Angeles around 6 PM. Since this was a residential area, officials initiated mandatory evacuation to ensure the safety of its citizens.

While the Sunset Fire scorched through 959.7 acres of land, firefighters were able to extinguish it completely.

Palisades Fire and Bad Faith Insurance in Southern California

Under California law, it’s not mandatory to hold homeowners’ insurance, but if you have a mortgage, you may be required to maintain such coverage.

It’s essential to understand what your policy covers. In most cases, it won’t pay for damages caused by natural disasters, which means that property owners may need additional coverage to protect against such calamities.

That said, even if you have the right type of insurance, there is no guarantee that the insurer will cover all the losses incurred. With the average home price in the affected area at $3 million, J.P. Morgan Insurance analysis estimates losses of up to $10 billion, a considerable amount for these companies to distribute.

Since Los Angeles County is more prone to wildfires, many insurers have decided against accepting new customers. This is an indication of the problems that the insurance companies may face in the coming weeks.

If you file a property damage claim with your insurer, the firm will probably lowball a settlement offer to end the dispute.

Although your policy may provide a maximum property damage coverage of $50,000, you may not receive the full amount. The adjuster will do their investigation into the wildfire and come up with several reasons to justify their lowball offer. Fortunately, you don’t have to listen to them.

Insurance companies agree to process claims honestly and fairly when they sell their policies. Manipulating investigation findings, unreasonably denying allegations, and misrepresenting aspects of the policy are all bad-faith practices for which you can file a complaint with your state’s Department of Insurance.

If you find it challenging to seek fair compensation for the property damage incurred in the Palisades Fire, you must contact an experienced bad-faith attorney. They can issue a strong letter for a more amicable settlement negotiation, which may be enough to scare the insurer into making a reasonable payout.

What Caused the Palisades Fire in Los Angeles?

Wildfires can cause more than property damage, and if they’re not caused by natural causes, it becomes incredibly important for victims to file a personal injury claim or lawsuit against the responsible party to recover economic and non-economic losses.

While it’s too early to say that the Palisades Fire may have been caused by negligence on behalf of a utility company, government entity, or individual, a BBC reporter Emma Vardy described hearing bangs and explosions as the fire tore through Pacific Palisades. This could be the sound of lithium batteries exploding from salt air. Lithium batteries react poorly to salty air along the coast and power many electrical power meters.

Upon visiting the area, she found the exploded remains of ammunition casing shells, which could potentially explain the havoc wreaked upon Los Angeles.

An impartial investigation could reveal whether natural circumstances or human negligence led to this destructive fire.

Who Is Liable for the Palisades Fire in Southern California?

If nature played no role in the recent fires raging in Los Angeles, several parties could be liable for the damages caused. They may include the following:

A Negligent Utility Company

Utility companies have been behind some of the most recent destructive wildfires in the country’s history. Here are a few examples:

• An investigation into the 2018 devastating Camp Fire revealed that Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) failed to maintain its power lines properly, causing them to spark and spreading the fire. The company’s negligence destroyed 19,000 homes and killed at least 85 residents.
• In 2018, defective power equipment operated by Southern California Edison led to the destructive Woolsey Fire. It spread across Los Angeles County, destroying over 1,600 structures and setting 96,000 acres of land ablaze.
• Downed power lines in 2020 resulted in the Washington Labor Day fires. The flames spread across the state of Washington, burning down 78 homes, 60 structures, and 330,000 acres of land.

Under personal injury law, if a negligent entity is found liable for the damages caused, injured victims or affected parties may be able to pursue a claim or lawsuit to recover pain and suffering, medical bills, emotional distress, and other losses.

While it’s possible to make a financial recovery, fighting a suit without an experienced personal injury attorney on your side may put you at a disadvantage.

Companies and insurers often have several lawyers representing them. They may coerce you into accepting a lower settlement offer, making it incredibly important to seek legal representation.

A Negligent Individual

Sometimes, a reckless individual may be behind the wildfires instead of a negligent company. The 2011 Wallow Fire was the largest wildfire disaster in Arizona’s history, destroying 538,000 acres of land and injuring 16 people. An investigation revealed that the fire started because two men failed to extinguish their campfire correctly.

Under personal injury law, if an individual is liable for any damages caused, the affected party can bring a civil action and hold them accountable for the losses.

A Negligent Government Agency

Since the BBC reporter mentioned seeing exploded ammunition casing, it could be possible that the government or military was negligent in securing the shells, which could’ve led to the Palisades Fire. On the other hand, a professor from a reputable university stated that the city fireworks in the Palisades area may have caused the wildfire.

If an investigation supports any of these findings, under the Federal Tort Claims Act, affected parties may be able to hold the federal government liable for the damages incurred. That said, it’s essential to understand that the process of filing lawsuits against such entities is different than if you were to pursue a typical personal injury case.

The law requires injured victims to file an administrative claim with the relevant agency within six months of the traumatic incident. Once the department receives the complaint, it has 180 days to approve or deny it. Upon denial, the affected party has the right to pursue a lawsuit in federal court.

For claims against the state government, the relevant department under California’s Government Claims Act only has 45 days to respond. Since the legal process of holding an agency liable is much different than typical personal injury lawsuits, injured victims must work with a skilled and knowledgeable personal injury attorney.

Palisades Fire from City Fireworks: The Los Angeles Government Could Be Partially Liable for the Palisades Fire!

Whether it was unsecured ammunition shells or city fireworks, here’s an interesting perspective on the Palisades Fire incident:

During the firefighting efforts, a loss of water supply and reduced water pressure in municipal water systems, including nearby fire hydrants, allowed the flames to continue spreading.

Had the water supply remained consistent, the Santa Monica fire station and its firefighters may have been able to stop the fire before it burned thousands of acres in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood, including the Palisades Charter High School.

Even if the government was not responsible for starting the fire, it could be liable for not stopping it due to the failure of the state’s water systems. On January 10, 2025, Governor Newsom announced an investigation into the water shortages.

If it’s found that the government or its officials were negligent in maintaining the water systems, which caused the fire to rip through Pacific Palisades, they could be held partially liable under personal injury law. Their degree of fault will determine the compensation they must pay to the affected party.

According to the National Weather Service, strong dry winds, delayed rainfall, and warmer-than-average temperatures contribute to California’s wildfire season, which typically begins in June and lasts through October.

While the state is prone to such natural disasters every year, the government must be ready for these types of incidents. Negligence and lack of preparedness can lead to partial liability.

An Impartial Investigation Could Help Determine the Liable Parties for the Palisades Fire

It’s too early to point fingers at the cause of the Palisades Fire, one of the most destructive disasters in Los Angeles history. While authorities will investigate the incident, if you’ve suffered from fire burns or property damage, you should contact an experienced personal injury attorney to protect your rights.

At Ehline Law, we understand wildfires’ impact on you and your family. From thousands of dollars in property damage to medical injuries, emotional trauma, displacement, and more, the Palisades Fire may have disrupted your peaceful life. Over the last twenty years, we have recovered millions for fire victims and burn injury survivors, and we can help you and your family, too!

Fortunately, our personal injury attorneys are ready to allocate resources to conduct an impartial investigation into the incident. We know how authorities can manipulate investigative findings to pass on the blame, so our team will set out to determine the real cause of the Palisades Fire and fight for fair compensation so that you can once again try to live an everyday life.

Recover from the Palisades Fire Unscathed with Ehline Law—Los Angeles’ Leading Personal Injury Firm!

If you’ve been a victim of the destruction caused by the Palisades Fire in Southern California, call us at (833) LETS-SUE to schedule a free consultation with an experienced personal injury attorney. We are an award-winning law firm with the skills, expertise, and resources to investigate the incident and get you the justice and compensation you deserve.