DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The national law firm of Baron & Budd has joined forces with California wildfire experts Singleton Law Firm and Ed Diab, Esq., to investigate the wildfires currently ravaging Northern California, including, but not limited to, the Atlas fire in Napa County, the Tubbs fire in Sonoma County, the Redwood Complex and Potter fires in Mendocino County and the Cascade fire in Yuba County.
To date, this outbreak of wildfires has claimed the lives of 31 individuals and has destroyed more than 115,000 acres of land since Sunday, October 8. California's fire chief estimates that 2,834 homes, businesses and other buildings have been destroyed by these fires. In addition, 400,000 square feet of commercial space was also destroyed. Many of the structures destroyed were in the city of Santa Rosa – a major urban center that is home to approximately 167,000 residents. News reports have linked California power company PG&E to the fire in Sonoma, with multiple reports called in to emergency dispatchers to report downed power lines and exploding electrical transformers.
The California Public Utilities Commission fined PG&E $8.3 million in April 2017 for failing to maintain a power line that created the Butte Fire in Amador County. Baron & Budd represents victims of the Butte Fire who sued the utility giant for damages including displacement expenses, lost wages and loss of property.
“As a California resident, it has been heartbreaking to see the widespread devastation that these fires have created in communities throughout the state,” said Baron & Budd Attorney John Fiske. “We are actively working to determine and confirm if power lines were the cause of these fires. As in the case of the Butte wildfire, which was linked to PG&E negligence, we are prepared to act quickly on behalf of the residents and businesses who have lost so much due to what may be another case of corporate carelessness. At Baron & Budd, we consider it a privilege to support the people who were impacted by past wildfires, and know that there is truly nothing that can prepare people for the physical and emotional toll of escaping these terrifying blazes.”
According to news reports, the Tubbs fire is only ten percent contained, and the Atlas Fire is only three percent contained. Current weather conditions are expected to create favorable conditions for the fires, a situation that is worsened by a weather forecast which shows no rain is likely for at least seven days in most parts of California. Historically, the state experiences the most devastating wildfires during October.
Baron & Budd’s Environmental Litigation Group is investigating the cause of the fire. For legal help, representation and questions, please call (707) 533-8128.
ABOUT BARON & BUDD, P.C.
The law firm of Baron & Budd, P.C., with offices in Dallas, Baton Rouge, New Orleans, Austin, Los Angeles, and San Diego, is a nationally recognized law firm with a nearly 40-year history of "Protecting What's Right" for people, communities and businesses harmed by negligence. Baron & Budd's size and resources enable the firm to take on large and complex cases. The firm represents individuals and government and business entities in areas as diverse as dangerous pharmaceuticals and medical devices, environmental contamination, the Gulf oil spill, financial fraud, overtime violations, deceptive advertising, automotive defects, trucking accidents, nursing home abuse, and asbestos-related illnesses such as mesothelioma.
ABOUT SINGLETON LAW FIRM, APC
Singleton Law Firm, based in San Diego, is one of the top fire litigation firms in the state of California. We have represented thousands of individuals in major fires all over the state of California, and we have recovered over $600 million for our clients in fire cases. Our lead attorney, Gerald Singleton, has served as Liaison Counsel and on the Executive Committees in some of the largest fires in the state. We currently represent over 2,000 individuals in the 2015 Butte Fire, which was a catastrophic fire started by PG&E power lines that burned over 70,000 acres in Calaveras and Amador counties. We recently represented the largest individual group of plaintiffs in the 2013 Powerhouse Fire in Los Angeles County, and Mr. Singleton served as Liaison Counsel for that case. Prior to the Powerhouse Fire, Singleton Law Firm was one of four firms who teamed up in a joint venture to represent over 1,600 individuals in the 2007 San Diego Fires. Although we specialize in high value cases, we represent individuals and business with all types of damages, from wrongful deaths to homeowners to renters.
ABOUT ED DIAB, ESQ.
Ed Diab is a nationally recognized attorney that has litigated numerous wildfire cases throughout the country. He was actively involved in the widely publicized lawsuit against Pacific Gas & Electric arising out of the 2010 San Bruno Gas Pipeline Explosion that leveled 38 homes and killed 8. He represented parties with property damage claims arising out of the 2013 Powerhouse Wildfire in Los Angeles that scored more than 30,000 acres in Santa Clarita. He also represented numerous people in lawsuits against Pacific Gas & Electric that sustained significant property damages arising out of the 2015 Butte Fire in Amador/Calaveras County that burned over 70,000 acres. Mr. Diab has also litigated gas explosion and wildfire claims in Montana, Washington and Texas. Because of the foregoing experience, Mr. Diab has been appointed by courts to several Plaintiffs Steering and Executive Committee positions to assist in guiding mass actions to resolution or trial.
