Oregon jury awards $305M to wildfire victims in new class-action ruling

An Oregon jury has ruled that PacifiCorp must pay $305 million to 16 fire victims from the state’s catastrophic 2020 wildfires in the most recent decision regarding a class-action lawsuit involving thousands of individuals against the utility company. This ruling adds to the over $1 billion in damages that PacifiCorp has been ordered to pay to members of the class following a trial in 2023, where their failure to cut power during a windstorm, despite warnings from fire officials, was deemed negligent.

The utility company is currently appealing the case in state court while facing over 1,000 class members with trials scheduled for 2026 and 2027. The 2020 Labor Day weekend fires were one of Oregon’s most devastating natural disasters, resulting in the loss of 11 lives, burning more than 1,560 square miles, and destroying numerous homes. The recent ruling by a Multnomah County Circuit Court jury specifically pertained to 16 victims of the Santiam Canyon fire in northwest Oregon.

Shawn Rabin, who spearheaded the trial team representing the plaintiffs, expressed that the verdict serves as a significant acknowledgment of the hardships these individuals have faced and reinforces the irreparable losses they have endured due to the fires. In contrast, PacifiCorp issued a statement claiming that the verdict was an unjust outcome regarding damages caused by a fire that the company did not ignite or contribute to, as established by the Oregon Department of Forestry.

An Oregon Department of Forestry report from last year indicated that 12 out of the 19 fires in the Santiam Canyon in September 2020 were sparked by embers from another fire. While the remaining seven fires were triggered by downed power lines, they were determined not to have fueled the escalation of large fires in the canyon and were contained by residents or firefighting efforts. Despite this report, plaintiffs’ attorneys have criticized the findings, highlighting deficiencies and omissions in evidence.

Separately, PacifiCorp has agreed to settlements totaling over $2 billion to resolve claims from multiple lawsuits related to the 2020 wildfires, including a $575 million payment to the federal government for wildfire damages on federal land in Oregon and California. The ongoing legal battles and appeals demonstrate the complexity and gravity of the repercussions of the devastating wildfires that ravaged Oregon in 2020.