Homeowners Sue Golf Course for Negligence in California Fire

A group of homeowners has sued a golf course owner for negligence stemming from a wildfire that destroyed eight houses, two businesses and an apartment complex near San Diego.

The lawsuit filed in October in San Diego Superior Court blames Omni La Costa Resort & Spa LLC for the May 14 wildfire and says it may have been started by equipment.

The Carlsbad Fire Department has said the cause of the fire that started near the fairway of the course’s seventh hole is undetermined. It hasn’t ruled out a smoldering cigarette or cigar or a titanium golf club striking a rock or other hard surface, but Chief Mike Davis said that there was no physical evidence.

Gerald Singleton, an attorney for more than a dozen homeowners who own property near the golf course, said maintenance equipment may have caused the fire. If it was a smoldering cigarette, he said, the golf course may be responsible if it failed to warn golfers about the dangerous fire conditions.

Richard Moreno, an attorney for the resort, didn’t immediately respond to a phone message seeking comment.