Reality TV couple Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt are suing the city of Los Angeles after losing their Pacific Palisades home in the wildfires that have torn through Southern California in recent weeks, the AP reports. The couple, who rose to stardom on The Hills, a spin-off of Laguna Beach, filed the lawsuit Tuesday along with more than 20 other property owners and residents who were affected by the Palisades Fire. The complaint blames Los Angeles and its municipal water department for the water issues that hampered firefighting efforts and says it ultimately led to the damage to their properties.
The Eaton and Palisades fires, ignited by strong winds during one of the region's driest years on record, have killed 28 people and destroyed more than 12,000 structures, putting them among the most destructive fires in California history. There has been intense scrutiny over hydrants running dry and problems with water pressure, leading to a barrage of lawsuits against the city and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. California Gov. Gavin Newsom has called for an independent investigation into the LA water utility over the issues.
The complaint filed by the couple and others mentions that the Santa Ynez Reservoir, which services the Pacific Palisades neighborhood, was offline and had been out of commission since February 2024 while awaiting repairs. The hydrants in the neighborhood were connected to three tanks that held 1 million gallons of water each and went dry within 12 hours, the complaint said, citing Janisse Quiñones, the water utility's chief executive and chief engineer. Without water from the reservoir, firefighters had to primarily rely on the water tanks, which were not designed to fight such a large fire, the complaint said.
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