Malibu Lawsuit Over Palisades Fire Raises Questions of Local Wildfire Liability for Pasadena, Altadena

A lawsuit filed Wednesday by the city of Malibu against the state, Los Angeles County, and the city of Los Angeles over the devastating 2025 Palisades Fire could have significant implications for other wildfire-prone communities such as Pasadena and Altadena, as it seeks to hold public agencies accountable for alleged failures in fire prevention and management that mirror local concerns.

The City of Malibu filed the lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court on Feb. 18 seeking unspecified damages to recover costs associated with emergency response, infrastructure repair, environmental restoration, and lost revenues stemming from the fire.

“This decision was not made lightly,” Malibu Mayor Bruce Silverstein said in a statement. “The city has an obligation to act in the best interests of our residents and taxpayers. The lawsuit seeks accountability for the extraordinary losses suffered by our community while recognizing that Malibu must continue to work collaboratively with our regional partners going forward.”

The lawsuit contends that the Palisades Fire, which erupted on Jan. 7, was a flare-up of the earlier Lachman Fire. The suit alleges that the state Department of Parks and Recreation negligently maintained dangerous conditions on the state-owned land where the Lachman Fire began and continued to smolder.

The lawsuit also accuses the city of Los Angeles and its Department of Water and Power of making “conscious and deliberate policy decisions…to leave reservoirs empty for over a year, fail to provide for the maintenance of essential firefighting infrastructure, and adopt a cost-saving approach that shifted risk onto surrounding communities, including Plaintiff.”

For residents of Pasadena and Altadena, which lie in a high fire hazard severity zone at the foot of the Angeles National Forest, the allegations in the Malibu lawsuit are particularly resonant. The legal action, while centered on a fire that ravaged a coastal community, raises critical questions of governmental responsibility that directly impact communities in the wildland-urban interface. The outcome could set a precedent for the level of care public agencies must provide in preventing and fighting fires across Southern California.

Specifically, the lawsuit’s focus on the alleged failure to maintain public lands, the provision of adequate water resources for firefighting, and the upkeep of essential infrastructure are all issues of vital importance to the safety of Pasadena and Altadena.

Malibu’s claim that a “cost-saving approach” shifted risk from one area to another will be closely watched by foothill communities that depend on the coordinated efforts of multiple agencies for their protection. A legal precedent holding public entities financially liable for such alleged failures could fundamentally alter how fire prevention and response are managed in areas vulnerable to wildfire.

The Palisades Fire burned 23,448 acres, destroying approximately 6,800 structures and resulting in 12 fatalities, according to the lawsuit. The complaint states the fire killed at least six Malibu residents and destroyed 700 homes and dozens of businesses in the city.