The families of a dozen Granite Mountain Hotshots are accusing public agencies of negligence in the handling of an Arizona wildfire, reports The Associated Press.
Lawsuit says Arizona mismanaged deadly wildfire
A wrongful death lawsuit filed this week seeks a financial payout for funeral costs, pain and suffering, and lost income. It also seeks a definitive answer on what went wrong during last year’s Yarnell Hill Fire.
The families had notified the state, Yavapai County and the Central Yavapai Fire District of a possible lawsuit. They had offered to settle for more than $220 million and for changes to ensure firefighters’ safety.
The lawsuit filed in Maricopa County Superior Court has no estimate on damages.
The defendants either declined comment Thursday or did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Property owners in Yarnell sued the state earlier this week