Quinn Emanuel Client City of Malibu Sues State and City Over Failures Causing Palisades Fire

Quinn Emanuel client the City of Malibu has announced its lawsuit against the State of California and the City of Los Angeles and other defendants seeking accountability for the devastating 2025 Palisades Fire, a disaster that claimed 12 lives, destroyed approximately 7,000 structures, and wiped out nearly one-third of the Malibu community.

The complaint alleges that the fire was not an unavoidable accident, but the result of conscious and preventable failures — including unaddressed embers from the Lachman Fire, critical water infrastructure and fire hydrant defects, and lack of vegetation management. The economic impact of the Palisades Fire is estimated to reach as high as $250 billion, with lasting consequences for residents, businesses, and the local tax base.

In its complaint, the City seeks compensation for damages it sustained in the fire including damage to infrastructure such as roadways and sewers, real property damage including to Malibu City Hall, direct fiscal revenues losses such as lost property tax and lost sales tax and untold environmental damage.

As Malibu Mayor Bruce Silverstein stated, the decision to bring this lawsuit “was not made lightly,” but reflects the City’s obligation to act in the best interests of its residents and taxpayers.

Quinn Emanuel is proud to represent the City of Malibu in this significant matter seeking accountability and recovery for the community.

Read about the complaint in the LA Times here.
Read about the complaint on Bloomberg here.
Read about the complaint on the Malibu City website here.

Learn more about our Wildfire Litigation practice here.