Overview

• The amended lawsuit adds California State Parks to the case, accusing the agency of letting smoldering debris in Topanga State Park reignite a New Year’s burn scar.
• Plaintiffs say the Santa Ynez Reservoir was drained after delayed repairs, causing one in five fire hydrants to run dry and forcing water-dropping helicopters to lose over six hours on distant refills.
• The suit contends an LADWP worker waited nearly five hours to de-energize circuits and later altered computer logs to mask the delay as energized lines reportedly sparked secondary fires.
• Victims accuse the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power of conducting a post-fire misinformation campaign to conceal equipment malfunctions and leadership lapses.
• LADWP maintains its equipment did not cause the blaze, and both city and state agencies now face expanded federal and state investigations alongside the plaintiffs’ legal push for accountability.