United States v. State of California

MÁTHES, District Judge.

Plaintiff United States of America invoked the jurisdiction of this Court under 28 U.S.C. § 1345, seeking damages from defendant, the State of California, by reason of alleged negligence on the part of employees of the State in causing, and in failing to extinguish, a fire which destroyed trees and other vegetation covering approximately 24,000 acres within Angeles National Forest in the County of Los Angeles, California.

It is alleged in plaintiff’s complaint that “on November 21, 1957, the * * Division of Highways of the State of California was engaged in constructing…