Jay Gandhi, a retired federal judge who served as the mediator in settlements with Pacific Gas & Electric, related to the Camp, Butte and North Bay fires, is joining a lawsuit against Los Angeles’ Department of Water and Power. … Though he is experienced in mediating wildfire settlement negotiations, this time, it is more personal – Gandhi and his family lost their home in the Palisades fire in January. … Gandhi joins a suit filed on Jan. 13, which now represents more than 750 fire plaintiffs. Current U.S. District Court Judge Dean Pregerson, who also lost his home in the fire, also joined the lawsuit. The suit focuses on the lack of water in the Palisades, alleging that two reservoirs key to public use in the area were not full, and claims that the LADWP left overhead power lines energized, instead of doing a public safety shutoff, which other major utility companies in the state do during red flag warnings. 

Other wildfire and water news:

• Bloomberg Law: California federal judges sue LA water over homes lost to fires
• Law360: Blog: Calif. judges who lost homes sue LA over Palisades fire
• Los Angeles Times: Steelhead trout rescued from Palisades fire successfully spawn
• The Washington Post: Los Angeles brims with wildlife. But fires make it harder to survive.