Wildfire Lawyer Serving Shasta County, CA

Surrounded on all sides by breathtaking beauty within national forests, Shasta County, CA, also plays an unfortunate host to wildfires that destroy homes, habitats, and businesses. While some blazes begin from campfires, many of the most tragic disasters occur due to negligence by corporations and utility companies. When you or your loved ones lose everything, a wildfire lawyer serving Shasta County, CA, can help you fight for what you deserve.

The team at Danko Meredith Trial Lawyers will work tirelessly to investigate the details of your loss, identify all at-fault parties, and pursue compensation fiercely on your behalf. Our California utility fire attorneys have over 30 years of experience holding utilities like Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) accountable for their poor management decisions and insufficient fire prevention efforts. Schedule a free consultation with us today and learn more about your legal options following a wildfire.

Why Should I Choose Danko Meredith Over Other Wildfire Attorneys Near Me?

At Danko Meredith Trial Lawyers offer decades of experience, training, and knowledge in handling wildfire claims against large companies and utilities. We litigate fiercely on behalf of our clients against those with deep pockets and impressive legal teams. Instead of standing alone against those who did wrong, you can call in a powerful wildfire law firm to investigate and prepare your case.

We believe in carefully examining every detail to identify all at-fault parties, develop robust evidence against them, and aggressively represent your interests in court. With recognition from peers, judges, and clients, we believe we are your top choice for managing a wildfire claim. We stay on top of changes in legislation and regulations to ensure we have the most up-to-date information for handling your case.

Most importantly, we genuinely care about our clients and strive to secure full compensation from those who harmed them. When you partner with us, you are working with wildfire lawyers who are compassionate when dealing with you and unstoppable when fighting wrongdoers. We promise you that we may be outnumbered, but we will never be out-lawyered.

Can Wildfire Lawyers Near Me Explain How Wildfires Begin?

Wildfires need fuel, oxygen, and an ignition source to begin, and the Shasta County area supplies plenty of fuel and oxygen. Although the county practices fire management, weather conditions in this part of California often produce dry timber and ground vegetation. The result is that when a spark or ember lands, it can quickly become disastrous.

While some fires start from a lightning strike, the vast majority happen when human action or neglect is at work. For example, the Dixie Fire near Lassen Volcanic National Park consumed 73,240 acres over three months in 2021. Investigations determined the fire started because PG&E failed to keep trees trimmed away from a 12kV power line near Bucks Creek. The 2025 Greater Los Angeles County wildfires have been attributed to a mix of drought conditions, severe Santa Ana winds, and dry vegetation.

Determining who is responsible for a wildfire can be challenging and requires a lengthy investigation by government officials. Our wildfire lawyers will also do their part to find out who is to blame so we can ensure we maximize your compensation and get the justice you deserve.

Managing the Impact of a Napa, CA, Wildfire

The Shasta County government and CalFire’s ReadyforWildfire.org take wildfire preparation and prevention seriously. Here are some vital steps you can take to reduce risk to your home or business and keep yourself safe:

Begin before the fire starts: Build an emergency kit, including go-bags for each family member. Install escape ladders for upper floors and practice using them so everyone knows what to do in a fire emergency. Sign up for fire alerts from local authorities.
Develop an evacuation plan: For homes and businesses, establish a protocol for getting out of the building and away from danger areas when directed to do so by authorities. Review your plan regularly and schedule practice drills for employees so they remain prepared.
Harden your property against fire: Trim away landscaping and undergrowth from buildings to a distance of 12 feet. Use fire-resistant materials when constructing your home or business and invest in features such as swimming pool fire pumps to save or protect your property.
Plan for animals: Saving cherished pets and valuable livestock can be challenging, so include food and water for pets and trailer livestock to safety when possible.
Prepare multiple escape routes and relocation plans: Wildfires can move quickly and change direction in minutes, meaning you must know alternate roads that will get you to safety. Have a list of additional locations you can move to if the fire consumes your initial choice.
Be ready if you must shelter in place: When you cannot leave your home, ensure you have supplies to survive power and water shutoffs, as well as masks for preventing smoke inhalation. Close up windows and other openings with materials that can limit smoke entering your home, and watch for wildfire ash that could set your home on fire.

How Much Do Wildfire Attorneys Near Me Cost?

If you lose your home and your job is disrupted, you may worry that hiring a wildfire attorney will cost too much. Fortunately, you can meet with an educated attorney for free to ask questions and find out whether you have a valid claim. When we accept your case, we ease your financial concerns even more by using a contingency fee structure.

This means you do not have to worry about what your wildfire attorney costs because we only take our fees once we secure a settlement for you. If we do not win, you do not pay us, and it is as simple as that. You can get the highly skilled and aggressive legal representation you need to fight against utility companies and other culprits without adding to your losses.

Attorney Mike Danko has over 30 years of experience personally managing cases like these and our entire firm is dedicated to holding PG&E and other companies accountable for their harmful actions. Examine our case results to see how we have obtained settlements in the millions for clients just like you.

How Does a Wildfire Lawyer Near Me Calculate the Value of My Claim?

The value of a wildfire claim is completely dependent on how much you lost and how much the fire affected your life. It can range from a few thousand dollars for one client to millions in losses for another. Because we are an experienced wildfire law firm, we have a long background in helping clients find every single expense they are owed by negligent parties.

Economic Damages

First, we examine the losses that have a monetary value, such as medical costs and lost income. Danko Meredith can collaborate with experts in various fields to ensure we request an appropriate amount for your current and future medical needs. You can seek compensation for items such as:

Relocation expenses immediately following the fire
Temporary living costs while your home is rebuilt
Medical bills for injuries or illnesses you sustain due to the fire or evacuation
Lost income if you cannot work
Lost earning potential if you cannot return to your job
Lost revenue if your business is inoperable while rebuilding
Repair or replacement costs for personal property such as clothing, computers, collections, artwork, jewelry, or vehicles
Replacement costs for damaged business assets, including buildings, vehicles, equipment, crops, and livestock
Lost retirement and insurance benefits while you are out of work

In some cases, insurance companies may offer too little for the replacement of unusual items, such as rare art or vehicles. For example, if you lost vintage cars with substantial restoration costs, you can negotiate for the true value by providing documentation of your purchase, work, and professional valuation.

Non-Economic Damages

Insurance policies often cover only economic losses, ignoring the devastating personal impact that surviving a wildfire can have on you. In many cases, you may suffer such significant injury or property loss that you suffer tremendous mental anguish and trauma. When those subjective losses are not addressed in an insurance settlement, your wildfire lawyer can attempt to negotiate for some financial acknowledgment or take the at-fault party to court.

Common non-economic losses we include in litigation include:

Amputation or loss of limb
Anxiety, depression, sleep disorders, and PTSD
Chronic pain from injuries
Loss of enjoyment of life and activities
Loss of intimacy with your partner or spouse
Loss of society due to disability, scarring, or disfigurement
Loss of reproductive function
Pain and suffering
Permanent disability
Traumatic brain injuries that affect your cognitive or physical function

How Long Does It Take to Settle a Wildfire Insurance Claim?

Insurance companies are required under the California Code of Regulations Title 10, Chapter 5 to respond to your claim application within 15 days. This does not mean they will pay your claim, although they may send insurance adjusters to your home or business who may cut you a check on the spot. In many cases, the company hopes you will take the offer quickly and close your claim, leaving you without any recourse if you discover additional damage.

Knowing what to do after property loss can be confusing. Our wildfire lawyers rarely recommend you take the first offer since it tends to be lower than what you will ultimately require. Instead, we advise you to take the following steps after you notify your insurance company of your losses:

Request Advance Payment for Your Immediate Expenses

If you evacuate before the fire reaches your home or business, you will likely have food, hotel, and travel costs associated with temporarily relocating to safety. Ask your insurance provider for advance payment to cover these costs so you can live comfortably and care for your family. Notify them of your current lodgings and have them meet you there.

Keep a detailed list of all your expenses so you can support this request. This list will also factor into your overall damages, especially if you proceed to a civil trial against any at-fault parties.

Minimize Additional Damage When You Return

Depending on the fire’s progress, it could be some time before you are able to return to the area and see whether your home was damaged. No matter what you find, take photos and videos of everything before you begin cleaning up. Make an effort to salvage any personal property or buildings and minimize the risk of additional damage.

This may include erecting tarps over roof holes, turning off the power and water if you did not do this before leaving, putting up temporary fencing to keep people out, and installing plywood over broken windows and doors. If your business burns down, relocate any inventory or equipment if possible. Ultimately, you want to prevent more damage, including any harm to people who must visit your property as part of your clean-up efforts.

Closely Review Your Insurance Policy

Like any business contract, insurance policies can be convoluted and difficult to understand for someone who is not in the industry. You may have overlooked provisions that could affect your ability to make a full claim, so now is a good time to work with a wildfire attorney who can review your policy and identify potential problems. They can clarify what your insurer covers and what they do not.

For example, it is important to know whether your insurance pays to repair or replace your property and home. You should also review whether they pay actual cash value for your home or just replacement value. Cash value pays to return your home and possessions to their pre-fire value, while replacement pays the current market worth, which could be substantially affected by how much damage the wildfire caused.

You may have chosen either cash value or replacement when you bought your insurance policy, but your needs may have changed since then. If your insurer does not make an appropriate offer or tries to use unfair practices, the wildfire lawyers at Danko Meredith will fight to ensure you get the compensation you deserve by filing appropriate lawsuits on your behalf.

When Your Wildfire Case Requires Litigation in Court

In our experience, large companies generally prefer to settle cases with individuals and small businesses out of court. This limits the amount of time, money, and publicity associated with the wildfire damage. We use this tendency to forcefully negotiate for the fairest settlement we can in your favor.

When the other side does not want to give you what should be yours, we take all the evidence we have collected and prepare our arguments for trial. Our main goal is to demonstrate how their actions led to your losses. We do this by meeting the four requirements for showing negligence:

Duty: The utility company or other entity owed all citizens in Napa a duty to safely maintain their equipment to prevent wildfire ignition.
Breach: The at-fault party failed in that duty (known as a breach), causing harm to others by their actions or inactions.
Causation: The breach was either the direct or proximate cause of your losses.
Damages: You have monetary and other losses due to the other side’s breach that must be repaid in full.

We continue negotiations even after your case has gone to trial, working to settle until the case is handed to the jury. Above all, we want to get the fastest, most satisfactory outcome for you so you spend less of your energy focusing on the case and more on rebuilding your home and life.

Our Wildfire Law Firm Ensures Timely Filing for Your Claim

With so much forest land around Shasta County, wildfires could burn for weeks, exhausting your resources and delaying your return to survey the damage. It is critical to have an accurate value on your claim, but lengthy delays can put you in danger of missing the legal deadline for filing your claim. Our team often recommends filing a personal injury lawsuit against identified liable parties during insurance negotiations, so your case has to stand in court if we need to go to trial.

In California, the statute of limitations defines how long you have to file your case, and the deadline depends on the type of damage. For physical harm, you have two years under California Code for Civil Procedure § 335.1 and three years to file property damage claims under California Code for Civil Procedure §338. However, preparing a wildfire claim is extremely complicated, so you must contact us for a free case review to get started as soon as possible.

If a government agency or public utility such as PG&E is to blame, you could have even less time. You may also have to file a notice of your intent to sue prior to beginning your actual lawsuit. Your wildfire lawyer at Danko Meredith will explain all the laws that impact your case when they meet with you.

Contact a Danko Meredith Wildfire Lawyer Serving Shasta County, CA, Today to Learn More

The suddenness and destruction of a wildfire can be disorienting and confusing. You may struggle to make sense of losing people and property, but Danko Meredith is a wildfire law firm you can trust to aid you in your full physical, emotional, and financial recovery.

We look forward to hearing from you when you contact us to arrange a free consultation at your convenience. Together, we can get your life back together so you can move forward again.