Ellis Law News: Azusa Firefighters Finish Off 268-Acre Brush Fire

Firefighters had all but finished their work Thursday on a 268-acre brush fire that has burned since Monday, officials said.

Containment of the Madre Fire, which ignited Monday evening at the northern end of Azusa and extended into the Angeles National Forest, remained at 90 percent Thursday morning, U.S. Forest Service Fire Information Officer Nathan Judy said.
Though the region saw some rain overnight, it amounted to only drizzle in the fire area, Judy said.
“It didn’t do a whole lot,” he said.

Nonetheless, about 180 firefighters who remained assigned to the fire continued making steady progress as the completed the last portions of containment lines around the wildfire.

No active flames had been observed since Tuesday evening, Judy said.
Firefighters worked on the ground Wednesday and Thursday, as water and fire retardant drops from aircraft were no longer necessary, he said. A helicopter remained at the scene to assist firefighters in getting to hard-to-access areas.

A helicopter flight using infrared imaging overnight found three smoldering stump holes in a remote section of forest, which firefighters promptly doused with water, Judy said.
Firefighters remained on-schedule to fully contain the fire, he added. “We’re looking a 100 percent (Friday).”

San Gabriel Canyon Road, which has been open only to local residents since the fire ignited, was reopened to the public Wednesday evening, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The cause of the fire remained under investigation.

Fire Related Property Damages

California property owners are no strangers to the risk of fire damaging their property. When wildfires occur, a land owner’s property may be burned or suffer smoke damage along with neighboring properties. Individual properties may also be at risk of fire damage due to faulty electrical wiring, lightning, arson, or other sources. No matter how a fire started or how extensive the damage, the Los Angeles property damage attorneys at Ellis Law are prepared to assist a property owner as soon as possible after the damage occurs.

Professional Legal Liability

A fire that damages property can result from one of any number of sources. If a fire takes place, it’s important to find qualified professionals who can examine the property and the damage and determine both the cause of the fire and what repairs may be required. Property owners may need to move quickly to address any problems on the property or add additional protection from fires before more losses accrue. Insurance companies may be slow to respond to fire-damage-related claims, particularly if a wildfire has damaged many properties in the area, or may rush through examination of the damaged property without truly examining the extent or causes of the damage.

In California, a property owner who experiences fire damage is expected to mitigate the loss caused by the damage. Mitigating damages may mean taking steps to prevent additional damage or taking steps to stop already-present damage from becoming worse. At Ellis Law, our knowledgeable California property evaluation attorneys can help property owners organize and complete the many tasks involved after a fire occurs. We can help property owners:

• find qualified experts to assess the damage and the cause;
• arrange for top-quality appraisers to consider the full amount of damage involved, and;
• coordinate repairs or other mitigation measures.

Our attorneys are also dedicated to helping property owners understand their legal rights after a fire, keep the property owner informed of any potential legal issues, and protect the property owner from costly, time-consuming, or pointless litigation while also helping the property owner recover any compensation to which he or she is entitled.

Substantial Jury Trial Experience

Ellis Law has the standards of integrity to help a California property owner before, during, and after litigation. Our attorneys will help a property owner uncover the causes of property damage and analyze the situation by assembling a team of qualified appraisers and experts. We will also prepare the property owner to establish or defend both liability and damages in a property damage case.

As an AV Rated law firm recognized for its achievement of professional excellence, Peterson Law Group attorneys put years of courtroom experience behind every case. Our real jury trial experience benefits clients ranging from large corporations to individual property owners. We assemble the high-quality teams of experts and consultants required to prove both liability and damages in property damage cases.

Ellis Law offers practical experience with property damage cases and courtroom results. While we believe all property owners who suffer fire-related damages should receive the benefits of experienced counsel, we are admittedly selective when choosing the cases we will represent. We believe these carefully considered choices enable us to provide our clients with the best personal assistance during the difficult period after a fire loss while allowing us to strive for the results our clients deserve.

Our experienced California fire property damage litigation attorneys welcome the opportunity to discuss your situation and help you assess the merits of your case.