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'Make the people who suffered whole' | Number of Carr Fire victims in class action lawsuit keeps growing

Between 450 and 460 people are included in a class action lawsuit against Caltrans and the City of Redding over the Carr Fire.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — More than 400 people have added their names to a lawsuit against the California Department of Transportation [Caltrans] and the city of Redding over damages and losses from the 2018 Carr Fire.

California's sixth-most destructive wildfire, which killed eight people, started on July 23, 2018, after a tire on a trailer went flat, causing the rim to scrape the ground and shoot sparks into a vegetation area, fire investigators have said. The Carr Fire burned nearly 230,000 acres, 1,079 homes and 22 commercial structures were destroyed.

Attorney Dugan Barr, who's representing the class action suit, said Caltrans and the city of Redding failed to take steps to prevent a wildfire.

"Caltrans didn’t maintain the area surrounding it [Highway 299]. They didn’t do the vegetation control that needed to be done," he said. "The city, in 2014, adapted a hazard mitigation plan and then they didn't do anything."

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Carr Fire: Remembering victims, firefighters, rebuilding efforts

Carr Fire: Deadly wildfire near Redding is fully contained

Barr said his law firm, Barr and Mudford, has received many calls from victims of the Carr Fire as the statute of limitations approaches.

"The statute of limitations is going to run out today for some people because the fire started July 23, and there are some people who suffered damages the first day," Barr said.

As of Tuesday morning, 450 to 460 people were on the list of claimants, according to Barr. He expects the suit to take several years. He also said any money awarded to the class would have to be assessed based on damages for each individual.

"I hope that the public entities get a wake up call," Barr said. 

WATCH MORE: Carr Fire: On the front lines with California's firefighters

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