The state of California has taken legal action seeking more than $3 million from a landowner for the cost of fighting a wildfire near New Cuyama three years ago.
On Aug. 14, the California Attorney General’s Office, on behalf of Cal Fire, filed a complaint in Santa Maria Superior Court seeking to recover firefighting costs, naming Wayne Goldwyn and up to 50 unnamed individuals as defendants.
The legal action stems from the Plant Fire that sparked Aug. 19, 2023 near Aliso Park Road and Foothill Road in New Cuyama.
The blaze remained active for 11 days, ultimately blackening 5,464 acres before being contained, according to Cal Fire.
The fire burned in State Responsibility Area and Los Padres National Forest land, destroyed eight uninhabited structures and burned more than 60 properties.
The court document filed by the Attorney General’s Office incorrectly refers to the incident as the Plaint Fire, although news reports at the time and Cal Fire called it the Plant Fire.
Fire investigators from the Santa Barbara County Fire Department and Cal Fire investigated the origin and cause of the blaze.
“The (Plant) Fire started because defendants failed to properly operate, inspect, and/or maintain their electrical lines/conductors (hereafter, lines), associated equipment (hereafter, equipment), and nearby vegetation growing on their property,” the court document said.
Fire investigators observed sycamore tree branches from trees located on Goldwyn’s property “overhanging, intruding into, and/or contacting the electrical conductors” in the area, according to the court complaint.
The contact resulted in an arcing event and/or multiple arcing events as the energized lines and/or equipment contacted each other and/or grounded material.
The electric arcing, a known cause of fires, generated heat, sparks, and/or molten metal, which landed on dry vegetation below, according to the legal documents.
The cost recovery complaint contends, “Defendants took insufficient steps to construct, operate, inspect, maintain the lines and equipment and nearby vegetation, and/or prevent it from creating a hazardous and unsafe condition and causing the fire.”
The legal action seeks to recover the fire suppression cost of approximately $3,343,866, as well as attorney fees, expert fees, pre-judgment interest and more.
A case management conference is scheduled for Dec. 14 in Santa Maria Superior Court before Judge James Rigali.
Goldwyn has not yet responded to the state lawsuit, according to court documents.
The state’s legal action is the second naming Goldwyn and related to the fire.
In August 2025, Mary Diane Bellis Martin, Inspira Financial Trust LLC (linked to Martin) and Gary Evans Moore sued Goldwyn, alleging negligence and private nuisance for the fire.
That lawsuit, filed by Adam T. Carralejo of Santa Barbara’s Thyne Taylor Fox Howard LLP, noted Martin and Inspira own 160 acres while Moore owns 320 acres.
“Plaintiffs’ properties and structures endured severe destruction by the Plant Fire caused by defendant,” the neighbors’ lawsuit claimed.
The plaintiffs are seeking injunctive relief against Goldwyn to prevent future fires, plus general and special damages along with lawsuit costs.
In court documents from the neighbors’ case, the defendant’s attorneys from the San Diego-based firm of Noonan, Lance and Boyer LLP rejected blame and cited 20 affirmative defenses.
“Goldwyn denies that the fire started on his property, that he was negligent or otherwise legally responsible for the ignition of the fire, and that the plaintiffs suffered any economic loss to their properties as a result of his conduct,” his attorney said in answering the neighbors’ allegations.
Moore has since voluntarily dismissed his civil case against Goldwyn, Carralejo said.
A trial in that civil lawsuit is set for April 2027, but the parties have been ordered by Judge Rigali to participate in alternative dispute resolution to try to resolve the matter.