Reuters
[ Source : Reuters ]
The legal actions appear to be the first of hundreds, or even thousands, of claims that may arise from the wildfires that have engulfed parts of Southern California in the past week.
The lawsuits were filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on behalf of homeowners, renters, business owners and others with properties destroyed by the Eaton Fire in the Pasadena area.
At least 24 people have died since multiple fires began last Tuesday, and more than 90,000 residents have been forced to flee their homes. More than two dozen people are reported missing, authorities said.
The Eaton Fire in the foothills east of the city of Los Angeles has scorched more than 14,000 acres (57 sq km) or 22 square miles, nearly the size of Manhattan. That fire is the second most destructive inferno in California history, according to one complaint.
