Reality TV couple Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt have sued the City of Los Angeles and its Department of Water and Power (LADWP) after their home was destroyed in the Pacific Palisades wildfire.
The couple, known for their roles on the reality show “The Hills,” joined 20 other plaintiffs in filing the lawsuit in the Los Angeles Superior Court. The suit describes the plaintiffs as property owners, tenants, and individuals who suffered “untold devastation” from the Palisades fire.
“The system necessarily failed, and this failure was a substantial factor in causing plaintiffs to suffer the losses alleged in this complaint,” the suit states.
The complaint alleges that the Santa Ynez reservoir, which services the Pacific Palisades neighborhood, was “completely offline” and emptied before the fires broke out in the area.
The reservoir had been out of service since February 2024 due to pending repairs. The plaintiffs said the LADWP decided to operate the water supply system with the reservoir drained to save cost.
They allege that fire hydrants in Pacific Palisades stopped functioning after three tanks, each holding 1 million gallons of water, ran dry within a span of 12 hours.
The water system was designed for public use such that it lacked the capacity “to fight an urban fire,” according to the court filing.
“In the last 90 years, for example, more than 30 wildfires have scorched parts of neighboring Malibu. We intend to hold the City of Los Angeles accountable.”
The plaintiffs sought compensation for property damage, injuries, loss of income, and emotional distress resulting from the fire, but did not specify the amount.
The Epoch Times has reached out to the city of Los Angeles and the LADWP for comment but did not hear back by publication time.
“I know people are like, ‘You’re rich, you will be fine’ (Yeah, I wish). Everything in our house was paid for by Heidi and I hustling any way we could. EVERYTHING we have worked for was in this house,” he stated.
