He lost his home in a fire. Now he is suing the city alongside the mayor's own brother.

Spencer Pratt and Kenneth Bass both blame an empty 117-million-gallon reservoir for letting the 2025 Palisades Fire destroy their homes.

When a wildfire rushes toward your house, you expect the nearby fire hydrants to save you. But what happens when you turn on the water and nothing comes out?

WHAT HAPPENED

In January 2025, the Palisades Fire burned through Southern California. The fast-moving fire killed 12 people and turned thousands of homes into ash.

Among the victims were reality TV star Spencer Pratt and Kenneth Bass, the brother of Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass. Both men lost their homes to the flames.

Now, they are both targeting the city in court. Pratt claims he is teaming up with the mayor's brother to hold the city water department accountable for dry hydrants.

WHAT THE EVIDENCE SHOWS

The Palisades Fire started on Jan. 7, 2025, killing 12 people and destroying thousands of homes.

• The Santa Ynez Reservoir, which holds 117 million gallons of water, was completely empty when the fire started.
• The reservoir had been offline for maintenance since early 2024.
• Spencer Pratt and his wife Heidi Montag filed their lawsuit on Jan. 21, 2025.
• Kenneth Bass and his wife joined a class-action lawsuit on May 18, 2026, on behalf of nearly 40,000 victims.

THE BIGGER QUESTION

How does a major city let a massive 117-million-gallon water reservoir sit totally dry in a known fire zone? This is not just a fight involving famous names or the mayor's family.

It shows a deeper problem with how our local governments keep us safe. We need to ask if officials are focusing too much on paperwork and not enough on real fires.

THE OTHER SIDE

City attorneys and the water department deny they are at fault. They state they had to empty the reservoir to follow clean drinking water rules. They also argue that extreme winds made the fire too strong for any water system to stop.

Still, this defense is hard to accept for families who stood by as dry hydrants failed to save their life savings.

WHAT HAPPENS NOW

The legal battles are still in progress in court. Thousands of fire victims are still waiting to see if they will get help to rebuild. The final decision could force cities to change how they manage emergency water supplies during hot, dry seasons.

WHAT WE STILL DON'T KNOW

Did the city have a backup plan to supply water while the reservoir was empty?

• Exactly how many water hydrants failed during the fight against the fire?
• Will Mayor Karen Bass have to answer questions under oath in a case brought by her own brother?