California State Parks has filed a civil lawsuit in against the alarm company Advantage Total Protection (ATP) regarding the arson fire at Bidwell Mansion State Historic Park on Dec. 11, 2024.
According to the department, ATP failed to conduct a proper inspection and test when it first took over the fire and alarm monitoring contract for the Bidwell Mansion in June 2024. The lawsuit alleges that ATP failed to monitor the mansion as required and failed to ensure that the alarm system alerted authorities in the event of a fire.
The lawsuit also alleges that ATP led State Parks to believe that it had conducted the required testing and that the system was operating as required. State Parks claimed that it never received indication the fire alarm system would not work as designed in the event of a catastrophic fire. State Parks is seeking $38 million in damages.
“Because of these failures, fire authorities and State Parks were not timely notified of the arson at Bidwell Mansion in December 2024, leading to the nearly complete destruction of the historic property and the historic objects inside,” said the department in a statement.
Photo via California State Parks.
