FREMONT, Calif. — Singleton Schreiber has filed a lawsuit on behalf of Haolin Zhang, a tenant displaced by the April 6, 2025, fire at the Waterstone Apartments in Fremont, which killed two residents and injured two more.
Filed in Alameda County Superior Court, the complaint alleges that property owner MV-EPT Apartments, LLC, and property manager Pinnacle Property Management Services California Corp. failed to maintain safe living conditions at the Waterstone Apartments complex in Fremont, resulting in a catastrophic two-alarm fire that tore through Building 25 in the early morning hours.
Zhang, who lived on the fourth floor where the fire originated, was awakened by screams and thick smoke just after 3:00 a.m. Unable to exit through the hallway due to intense flames and zero visibility, Zhang had just enough time to save his dog and was forced to escape from his balcony with the assistance of emergency responders. He was hospitalized for smoke inhalation and remains displaced, having lost access to his home and many personal belongings.
“The Waterstone Fire was not just a tragedy—it was preventable,” said attorney Paul Starita of Singleton Schreiber. “Our client narrowly escaped with his life. Others weren’t as lucky. We intend to hold the responsible parties fully accountable for their negligence.”
After the fire, all 30 units in Building 25 were rendered uninhabitable. The lawsuit seeks damages for personal injuries, emotional distress, property loss, and displacement, asserting the defendants failed to perform reasonable safety inspections and enforce existing risk management protocols.
Fremont Fire Department responded to contain the blaze, which was brought under control by 3:40 a.m. Despite their heroic efforts, lives were lost, and dozens were forced from their homes.
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Singleton Schreiber is a client-centered law firm, specializing in mass torts/multi-district litigation, fire litigation, personal injury/wrongful death, civil rights, environmental law, insurance bad faith, and sex abuse/trafficking. The firm represents numerous environmental damages cases, including the 2025 Moss Landing Battery Plant fire in Monterey County and the Imperial Beach sewage spill in San Diego. They also lead the largest fire litigation practice in the nation, representing over 30,000 wildfire victims and plaintiffs in utility-caused fires including the 2025 Eaton and Hurst fires, 2023 Lahaina fires, Colorado's Marshall fire, Washington’s Gray fire, and many other utility fires in California and beyond.
