Altadena Man Testifies in Insurance Case Over Station Fire Damage

Testifying in trial of a lawsuit brought by claimants against Mercury Casualty Co., an Altadena man said today he was "upset'' and "angry" that he received only $1,500 from the insurer for extensive smoke and ash damage to the interior and exterior of his home during the 2009 Station Fire.

Ricardo Robles said conditions were so bad he had to close all the windows in his home during the hot summer period when the fire struck and move to his in-laws' residence. When asked by his lawyer, Michael Cohen, how he felt about the way he was treated by the insurer, he replied, "upset, angry."  

Mercury maintains it met its obligations to about 50 plaintiffs who had homeowners insurance and contend the company delayed, denied or paid too little to repair the damage to their residences caused by fire residues.

Mercury attorney John Hager alleged that a public adjusting firm, Advantage Loss Group, inflated claims and signed up most of the people who eventually sued Mercury in Los Angeles Superior Court in December 2010.

In their court papers, attorneys for the plaintiffs say many of their clients found out later that their damages were worse than originally believed.

The lawyers also contend that Mercury used only two industrial hygienists to inspect each claim and that each report contained nearly identical results, regardless of how far a residence was from the fire.

Robles testified he knew that he was keenly aware when the blaze began. "I smelled it, I saw it,'' he said.

Robles said the ashes had to be removed from throughout his three- bedroom home residence on Devirian Place. "I power-washed the dirty areas outside and mopped inside,'' he said.

Robles said he took the advice of a neighbor and asked ALG to make his claim with Mercury. He said he was not sure at first whether his homeowners policy covered fire residue damage.

Robles said he came close to having to evacuate, but that the order was never made.

The Station Fire began along Angeles Crest Highway and eventually became the largest blaze ever in Los Angeles County in terms of the amount of land burned -- more than 160,000 acres, according to James McMullen, a fire protection consultant who testified last week.

McMullen said the fire began on Aug. 26, 2009, in a ravine and that firefighters had to battle steep terrain and sharp updrafts of wind. The fire was not contained until Oct. 16, 2009.

The fire burned 250 square miles, destroyed more than 200 structures, including 89 homes, wiped out the community of Hidden Springs, and killed two Los Angeles County firefighters trying to protect their mountain camp.