California law currently gives cities, counties and the State a full pass on accountability for keeping our communities safe from fire risk.
Incredible, right?
But true.
California law gives our governmental entities immunity from claims of loss – including death – resulting from community fire – NO MATTER HOW RESPONSIBLE THE GOVERNMENTAL ENTITY WAS FOR ALLOWING THE FIRE TO BURN, KILL AND DESTROY.
Maybe that would make sense if our city, county and state governments were incredibly well run by highly competent individuals who were doing all that should reasonably be done to prevent fire risk.
BUT THEY ARE NOT.
Build the Future Together proposes new legislation requiring the California Department of Insurance to promulgate minimum standards for fire protection to be maintained by cities and counties in the State of California and to be maintained by the State of California itself.
This change in the law is designed to reduce fire risk generally and, specifically, to prevent a repeat of the type of urban fires that destroyed Pacific Palisades and Altadena and other communities in January of 2025.
Under the new legislation, statutory immunity from liability will be removed for any city or county and for the State of California itself should they fail to meet the minimum standards.
The minimum standards are to be established in consultation with highly qualified independent consultants (such as the Rand Corporation of Santa Monica), shall take into consideration recommendations included in post fire reviews that have followed the Woosley and other fires, shall be updated on a regular basis to reflect new information and science on best fire protection practices and shall be subject to public hearings prior to adoption.