PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – One thousand victims of Oregon’s 2020 Labor Day Wildfires filed a lawsuit in Multnomah County on Tuesday seeking $30 billion from PacifiCorp for damages caused by the utility company, according to court documents.

The complaint comes after an Oregon jury in June 2023 found the utility company was responsible for causing the fires over Labor Day weekend 2020, which killed nine people, burned more than 1,875 square miles, and destroyed upward of 5,000 homes and structures.

The lawsuit seeks relief from damages caused by the wildfires — including the Echo Mountain Complex, Santiam Canyon, South Obenchain, and 242 fires. Damages include bodily injuries, emotional distress, loss of residence, smoke or ash damage, and damage to timber, crops, or livestock caused by PacifiCorp.

Inside the occupied Millar Library on Portland State University’s campus

This marks the latest lawsuit filed against the utility company. In March, the company was ordered to pay over $42 million to 10 other Labor Day wildfire victims, along with a $250 million settlement to timber companies, and face another lawsuit from several Oregon wineries.

PacifiCorp released the following statement regarding the latest suit:

“PacifiCorp has resolved and will continue to resolve all reasonable claims for actual damages under Oregon law. To date, the company has settled over a thousand claims related to the 2020 wildfires, including reasonable claims from those that have opted out of the James class action

This most recent James complaint is the first time in over three years that class counsel has identified the class members. The $30m demand for each plaintiff clearly demonstrates the need for some manner of reform in the legal process. PacifiCorp’s ability to provide essential services is being threatened by excessive wildfire damages pursued by plaintiff’s attorneys who have a substantial financial stake in these outcomes.

Wildfires pose a catastrophic threat to communities, and require holistic solutions involving businesses, governments and other key stakeholders working together to design and implement enduring solutions for all Oregonians. For utilities, there is an ominous risk in making future investments in regions where they become the de facto insurers of last resort in a more frequent extreme weather environment. Some states that PacifiCorp serves are taking active steps now to ensure viability of their utilities and safe and reliable electricity service for their state. It is critical that all state utility regulators and political leadership in other states do the same.”

On Wednesday, the utility also highlighted what it’s trying to do to minimize the risk of fires, such as covers that protect transmission lines from falling branches.

“The wildfire mitigation plan and Pacific Power’s preparedness for that is a process that is every day of the year, looks across the entire service territory to understand those risks and our operational response that matches that elevated fire risk condition,” Allen Berreth, Pacific Power’s vice president of transmission and operations, said.

Pacific Power is in the midst of asking the Public Utility Commission to raise rates on people to fund fire mitigation, but also create a fund in case it is found at fault for fires that happen in the future.

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