An Oregon jury has found PacifiCorp, an electric utility company, financially responsible for the destruction caused by the devastating Labor Day wildfires of 2020. Seventeen homeowners who filed suit shortly after the disaster were each awarded millions in damages, with most receiving $4.5 million and some $3 million for emotional distress. This decision also impacts a broader class of nearly 2,500 property owners, potentially leading to over $1 billion in total damages, to be assessed in later proceedings.
While the official cause of the 2020 Labor Day fires remains undetermined, these blazes tragically resulted in nine deaths, scorched over 1,875 square miles, and obliterated approximately 5,000 homes and structures, marking one of Oregon's worst natural disasters. Plaintiffs argued that PacifiCorp, owned by Berkshire Hathaway, neglected to de-energize its power lines despite urgent warnings from top officials and Governor Kate Brown's chief of staff during the high-wind conditions of Labor Day weekend. The utility's lines have been linked to several fires, including one originating in California that spread into Oregon.
Following a seven-week trial, closing arguments concluded on Wednesday, with plaintiffs asserting PacifiCorp's negligence in maintaining energized power lines amid extreme wind warnings. Plaintiffs' attorney Cody Berne accused the utility of igniting the fires, destroying evidence, and then attempting to evade accountability.
The jury's task was to determine PacifiCorp's role in four specific fires: the Santiam Canyon fires, the Echo Mountain Complex, the South Obenchain fire, and the Two Four Two fire. Plaintiffs' attorneys contended that PacifiCorp executives disregarded reports of damaged electrical equipment from line workers and shifted blame onto front-line employees during the trial.
Berne highlighted a deposition from PacifiCorp's systems operator, Dave Trammell, who revealed the absence of supervisory personnel during the critical night shift when the fires erupted, characterizing this as a failure of leadership and accountability.
PacifiCorp's defense, presented by attorney Douglas Dixon, argued that alleged power line fires in Santiam Canyon could not have reached the plaintiffs' properties and that the company lacked equipment in some of the affected areas. They attributed some of the damage to the Beachie Creek Fire, which predated Labor Day, and attributed the unprecedented nature of the fires to climate change and an act of God.
Plaintiffs' lawyer Nicholas Rosinia countered by emphasizing that the fires would not have ignited without the spark from electrical lines, urging the jury to hold PacifiCorp accountable and acknowledge the survivors' suffering.
