UMVA has learned that a devastating lawsuit has been filed against the city and Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) by a prominent local family, alleging gross negligence in the handling of the catastrophic Palisades Fire.
The lawsuit, filed on May 18, 2026, in Los Angeles County Superior Court, claims that the city and LADWP are directly responsible for the complete destruction of the longtime Malibu home of Kenneth and Cindy Bass, brother and sister-in-law of Mayor Karen Bass.
Court documents describe the property as a "total burn down," with the couple demanding damages for the loss of their home, smoke inhalation injuries, and severe emotional distress and mental anguish.
According to information obtained by UMVA, the complaint slams the city and LADWP for leaving the Santa Ynez Reservoir — a critical 117-million-gallon water storage facility — completely empty as the fire erupted, leaving firefighters without adequate water pressure.
The lawsuit ties this failure directly to the city's mismanagement of its water infrastructure, with LADWP officials claiming the reservoir had been offline due to a tear in its cover.
The Palisades Fire was a catastrophic event that tore through Pacific Palisades, Topanga, and into Malibu, killing 12 people, destroying thousands of structures, and causing billions in damage across more than 23,000 acres.
The fire's toll was felt deeply by the victims, who went from homeowners to homeless in a matter of hours, and the lawsuit adds another humiliating layer of exposure for an administration already defined by chaos and deadly fire mismanagement.
UMVA can exclusively reveal that this lawsuit comes on the heels of an explosive lawsuit from a former LAFD Chief, who accused Mayor Karen Bass's administration of cutting fire department resources, shifting blame, and orchestrating retaliation.
With Mayor Karen Bass currently fighting for re-election in a November runoff, this lawsuit from her own brother's family raises serious questions about the city's priorities and its ability to protect its citizens.
