Reality show celebrity couple Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt have filed a lawsuit against the city of Los Angeles and its water and power department (LADWP) after their home in Pacific Palisades was destroyed in a recent wildfire.
The couple, famous for their appearance on the reality show “The Hills,” joined 20 other plaintiffs in filing the lawsuit at the Los Angeles Superior Court on January 21. The complaint describes the plaintiffs as homeowners, tenants, and individuals who suffered “indescribable catastrophic losses” in the Pacific Palisades fire.
In a 14-page complaint, the plaintiffs claim that the wildfire was an “inevitable consequence” of the city of Los Angeles’ management of the water supply system in Pacific Palisades and surrounding areas.
The lawsuit states, “This system was destined to fail, and this failure was a major factor in causing the plaintiffs’ losses.”
The plaintiffs allege that the Santa Ynez Reservoir, which serves the Pacific Palisades community, was in a state of “complete shutdown” and empty before the fire broke out.
The Santa Ynez Reservoir has been out of operation since February 2024 for repair reasons and has not been restored to date. The plaintiffs point out that, to save costs, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power decided to operate the water supply system with the reservoir empty.
They also noted that after the water in the three water tanks in Pacific Palisades (each capable of holding 1 million gallons of water) was depleted within 12 hours, the fire hydrants stopped working.
According to court documents, the water supply system was designed for public use but its capacity was “inadequate for city fires.”
Peter McNulty, the plaintiffs’ lawyer, stated, “Despite being in a high fire-risk area, the city of Los Angeles intentionally designed and maintained the water supply system in this manner.”
He further added, “For example, in the past 90 years, nearby Malibu has experienced over 30 wildfires. We intend to hold the city of Los Angeles accountable.”
The plaintiffs seek compensation for property damage, injuries, lost income, and emotional distress caused by the fire, although the exact amount of damages was not specified.
Epoch Times has reached out to the city of Los Angeles and its water and power department for comment but had not received a response at the time of publication.
Spencer Pratt previously stated on TikTok that their home in Pacific Palisades was destroyed in the wildfire. He described witnessing their house being engulfed in flames as “one of the worst feelings of his life.”
“I know some people will say, ‘You guys have money, you’ll be fine.’ (Yes, I hope so.)” he said. “Everything in our house is earned by Heidi and me through various means. Everything we have is in that house.”
As of the afternoon of the 24th, wildfires that have erupted in Southern California since the 7th of this month have burned more than 55,000 acres of land, destroyed over 16,000 structures, and caused at least 28 fatalities, forcing over 100,000 evacuations.