Singleton Schreiber Alerting Homeowners in Southwest To Potential Flooding Dangers

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 12, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Fire Litigation law firm Singleton Schreiber is alerting homeowners in California, Arizona, Nevada, and New Mexico to potential flooding dangers in burn scarred regions. Recent rains in Los Angeles have brought about floods in parts of the San Gabriel Valley and other regions that experienced the Bobcat fires in 2020.

"When a region is burn scarred, that means fires have occurred which radically changed the landscape, burning away vegetation such as shrubs, trees and grass to leave hard earth exposed," said Managing Partner Gerald Singleton. "That's why homeowners need to be on the alert."

This hard earth can have a very hard time absorbing even moderate rainwater, and in hilly areas such as the San Gabriel Foothills, flooding can occur. It might be odd to think of floods as the final steps in a fire, but for the award-winning fire litigation attorneys at Singleton Schreiber, they understand the damage of any wildfire can take months, even up to a year to fully assess.

Potential Flood Damage

Floods are dangerous enough, but when they occur in in areas such as the San Gabriel Valley that experienced serious wildfires, it's even more complicated. For example, in the Silverado Fire in Orange County California, the fires burned away the hillsides, damaged homes, threatened lives and destroyed property. But that was not the end of the destruction. After a period of heat which essentially "baked" the earth, the exposed dirt became hard and unable to absorb water. Finally, heavy rains came and immediately caused flooding which further damaged homes and property and even threatened the lives of some residents.

"It's extremely sad that the fires caused by massive utility companies like Pacific Gas & Electric have such long-term impacts," Mr. Singleton added.

This process is occurring frequently with wildfires on the rise, and it's not just an issue in California. The McBride Fire in New Mexico occurred in a region with hilly and mountainous topography. This means the water can flow and build up speed quickly, wiping out anything in its path. Worse, there is often very little warning for when a flood might occur or even the direction or path it will take. As the burn scarred land exposes new ditches, areas which were previously untouched by floods can become overwhelmed with little to no notice.

For this reason, the flood attorneys at Singleton Schreiber warn any individual or business subjected to fire damage that this is only the beginning of problems.

How Did Fires Occur?

State investigations in California, New Mexico, Arizona and throughout the nation find that fires are started by large utility companies such as PG&E. These poorly maintained, or poorly located, equipment and power lines get destroyed by high winds or other storms. These then fall on dry leaves or trees, and fires spark in a short period of time. These fires wipe out landscapes and create major news.

Incidents such as the:

• McBride Fire
• Fairview Fire
• Mill Fire
• Camp Fire
• Hermits Peak and Calf Canyon Fires

All of these were the result of downed powerlines. In fact, the Hermits Peak disaster is normally referred to as the Hermits Peak and Calf Canyon Fires and Mudslides because of this fire/flood phenomenon.

If you're the victim of this type of damage, you need qualified, experienced attorneys who can litigate these types of cases. Whether you were simply evacuated or suffered life threatening injuries, Singleton Schreiber can help you sort through insurance problems, government programs and more to get maximum compensation. Unfortunately, for homeowners throughout the Southwest, fires are only the first step in fire litigation. But, with Singleton Schreiber, our legal team will work with you every step of the way to help take care of you, your family, your property and your future.

Media Contact: Joe Marchelewski, [email protected]

SOURCE Singleton Schreiber