When District Attorney Joyce E. Dudley first saw a commercial for Sun Fire Defense’s SPF 3000 Clear Spray, she was “immediately concerned this was a predatory company.” On Monday, August 5, Dudley announced a joint civil lawsuit with the city of Los Angeles against Sun Fire's parent company, Sunseeker Enterprises, and its owner, James Moseley. Santa Barbara County's DA and L.A. City Attorney Mike Feuer allege that consumers might remain in their homes instead of evacuating, convinced that the product sprayed on their homes would protect them and the structure, "placing their lives, the lives of their loved ones, and the lives of first responders at great risk," said Dudley. Moseley disputes their contentions.
An investigation led by Deputy DA Christopher Dalbey, who will prosecute the case, resulted in the filing of the lawsuit in Santa Barbara Superior Court for "allegedly false and misleading" advertising claims. A fire protection engineer conducted lab studies on the product during Dalbey's investigation, City Fire Marshal Joe Poiré told the Independent, the results of which caused him to open the case.
The company's spray purports to be an efficient preventative tool against fires once it has been applied to a home’s exterior. Poiré stated during the announcement that it has been difficult, even for him, to research the product. How could homeowners possibly be expected to do so on their own? he asked. If such a fire remedy existed, he continued, city, county, and state fire officials would certainly be aware of it. Since they weren't, that called into question the safety and efficacy of the spray, Poiré said.