Reality TV stars Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag have filed a lawsuit against the city of Los Angeles and its Department of Water and Power after losing their home in the devastating Palisades Fire.
The former stars of The Hills, along with more than 20 other property owners, submitted their legal claim on Tuesday in Los Angeles County Superior Court.
The lawsuit alleges “inverse condemnation”, a legal concept that allows property owners to seek compensation for damage caused by public use.
The plaintiffs blame the city and utility’s operation of its water supply infrastructure for causing extensive damage to their properties during the January fires.
The lawsuit specifically cites reports about the Santa Ynez Reservoir, which services the Pacific Palisades area, being offline and emptied before the fire erupted on January 7.
According to court documents, three tanks holding one million gallons of water each went dry within 12 hours, severely hampering firefighting efforts.
Spencer Pratt pictured watching the fires near his home
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The plaintiffs accuse the Department of Water and Power of making “the conscious decision to operate the water supply system with the reservoir drained and unusable as a ‘cost-saving’ measure.”
The complaint alleges that repairs requested “ASAP” in January 2024 were not scheduled for completion until April or May 2025.
Governor Gavin Newsom has ordered an investigation into the loss of water pressure to fire hydrants during the disaster.
Montag expressed her devastation in a tearful TikTok video, saying: “I’m so sad our house is gone. I wish I could have gone back and got more.”
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The couple recently appeared on Good Morning America, where Montag recalled the frantic moments before evacuation.
“Spencer was like, ‘Grab anything you want to keep,’ and I was like, ‘How do you choose?'” she said through tears.
Pratt described the scene as “out of body, insane,” noting that their son’s bed started burning in the shape of a heart.
The reality star also claimed on social media that when he called emergency services, he was told they “didn’t have the assets” to respond.
The Palisades Fire has consumed 23,400 acres and was 72 per cent contained as of Thursday, more than two weeks after it began.
The blaze, fuelled by ultra-dry weather conditions and hurricane-force winds, claimed 11 lives and destroyed 6,662 structures whilst damaging 890 others.
Water systems experts noted that with extreme Santa Ana winds preventing the immediate use of aircraft, the Palisades fire was initially impossible to control.
Meanwhile, at least 20 lawsuits have been filed against Southern California Edison regarding the simultaneous Eaton fire, which razed parts of Altadena.
Private forecaster AccuWeather projects the total damage and economic losses at more than £250 billion.
The couple revealed they were uninsured when the disaster struck, having been dropped by their insurance company last year like many California homeowners.
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Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag are suing the city of Los Angeles
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“We were house poor, as they call it,” Montag explained on Good Morning America. “We have a house and everything else is a hustle, is a grind.”
The couple have sought alternative means of recovery, with Pratt encouraging fans to stream Montag’s 2010 album Superficial, successfully pushing it to No. 1 on iTunes.
Pratt also disclosed making what he called a “life-changing” amount of money on TikTok from individuals seeking to help his family recover.
The couple are now seeking unspecified damages through their lawsuit, including property repair costs and lost wages.