LOS ANGELES (NewsNation) — Eight months after a fire in the Pacific Palisades became California's worst-ever wildfire, NewsNation has exclusively obtained documents that show what attorneys call "massive failures" by state and local officials that may have contributed to the disaster's devastating toll.

The January fire killed 12 people, destroyed 7,000 structures and caused an estimated $18-20 billion in insured losses alone. Now, internal records obtained by victims' attorneys show a series of missteps before, during and after the blaze.

Michel Valentine, who witnessed the fire's start Jan. 7, said he called 911, but waited for help that never came.

"I did not see any firefighters up there," Valentine said. His home was among thousands destroyed and he has joined a lawsuit against the

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