People's Justice

Arizona · Fire loss claim: what can I do?

Fire loss claim: what can I do?

See If You Qualify

Free · No obligation · About 2 minutes

Filing deadline2 years from discovery of injury or damageA.R.S. § 12-542

Deadlines vary with the facts of each case. A lawyer can confirm yours.

Updated

01 · Your filing deadline

What is the deadline in Arizona?

Arizona: 2 years for personal injury and property damage (A.R.S. § 12-542). Discovery rule applies for latent injuries. Claims against governmental entities require notice within 180 days under A.R.S. § 12-821.01. A lawyer can confirm yours.

2 years from discovery of injury or damage

Source: A.R.S. § 12-542

Deadlines vary; a lawyer can confirm yours. An older diagnosis or a past filing window does not, by itself, establish whether you have a claim.

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A lawyer can check which filing rules apply to your circumstances.

02 · Where cases are heard

Where would my case be heard?

Arizona's expanding wildland-urban interface and extreme fire conditions have produced significant wildfire events including the 2021 Telegraph Fire (180,000+ acres) and 2020 Bush Fire (193,000+ acres). Utility negligence claims against Arizona Public Service (APS) and Salt River Project (SRP) face unique challenges because SRP is a quasi-governmental entity with potential sovereign immunity defenses. Arizona's arid climate and monsoon-season wind events create recurring fire risk from utility infrastructure.

Wildfire claims in Arizona are filed in Maricopa County Superior Court (Phoenix), Pinal County (Telegraph Fire area), and the District of Arizona federal court. Arizona follows a pure comparative fault system (A.R.S. § 12-2505) where recovery is reduced by the plaintiff's fault but not barred at any threshold. Arizona caps punitive damages in certain contexts but does not cap compensatory damages in negligence cases. A key complication is that Salt River Project operates as a federal reclamation district with potential sovereign immunity, requiring claimants to carefully analyze the applicable liability framework. Arizona Public Service, as a private investor-owned utility, does not have immunity defenses.

How this works nationally

For the overall process and updates, read the Fire loss claim: what can I do? overview. This page covers the local information available for Arizona.

What happens when I check?

You answer a few short questions about what happened. If you send them, your answers are kept on file. If a participating law firm takes these cases, it may contact you. People's Justice is not a law firm.

Live in Arizona? Read what applies in your state.

Register your interest. If a participating law firm takes these cases, it may contact you.

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Sources

  1. A.R.S. § 12-542