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The recent
California fires may have ended, but litigation against the state and other parties is just beginning to heat up. A class action lawsuit may be soon be filed by the founder and former president of the Malibu Bar Association due to the alleged inaction of the California Department of Parks and Recreation and negligence of others.
The lawsuit
According to a recent article in the Malibu Times, California attorney Jay Devitt – the founder and former president of the Malibu Bar Association – placed an ad in local newspapers to inform local residents of the proposed litigation. Over 85 homes were either damaged or destroyed by what may have been arson in what is being referred to as the Corral Fire. Devitt alleges that homes in the area are worth approximately $1.5 each, so money damages could be well over $75 million.
Devitt claims that the Parks and Recreation Department had been repeatedly warned that individuals were partying in nearby caves at night and that local residents were concerned about potential fire hazards which may have ultimately been responsible for causing the Corral Fire. The Department allegedly ignored the warnings, however, it has yet to comment on what was or was not done.
Other lawsuits possible
The same article also reported that other residents have expressed interest in bringing a lawsuit against the city for reducing the number of open road lanes during the fire that they allege hindered the fire rescue process. A lawsuit has not yet been filed and the city has not yet commented.
What’s happening now
Only time will tell whether any lawsuits are filed against the city or state. For now, the City Council approved a resolution to offer a $25,000 reward to anyone with information that leads to the arrest and conviction on the person(s) that may have started the fire.
The Corral Fire is only one of the many fires that plagued Southern California recently. The Insurance Information Network of California has estimated that damage from the fires could total $1.6 billion and reported that nearly 23,000 insurance claims have been filed to date.
