Overview
- Kenneth and Cindy Bass are named plaintiffs in a master Palisades Fire complaint that was filed on May 18 and seeks damages for smoke injuries, emotional distress, and property loss.
- Their court filing lists the couple’s Malibu property as a “total burn down” and says they suffered smoke inhalation and mental anguish after the January 2025 blaze.
- The master complaint names about 18 public and private defendants including the City of Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and Southern California Edison for alleged failures such as an empty Santa Ynez reservoir and low water pressure.
- City and DWP lawyers have formally denied liability and in earlier court papers asserted defenses including governmental immunity and that no negligent act by the city caused the losses.
- The development sharpens political scrutiny because it arrives during Mayor Bass’s reelection campaign and joins thousands of other claims that stem from a fire that destroyed roughly 6,800 structures and killed multiple people.