Utility Must Pay $85 Million to People Affected by Oregon Wildfires, Jury Rules

The New York Times (January 24, 2024) – A jury in Portland, Ore., awarded $85 million on Tuesday to nine people who had losses from wildfires that devastated communities and burned millions of acres in September 2020. The verdict is the latest development against the electric utility company PacifiCorp over its responsibility for the fires.

Last June, a jury found PacifiCorp liable for damages for not cutting power to its 600,000 customers despite warnings from the then governor’s chief of staff and top fire officials, according to The Associated Press. The jury awarded about $90 million to 17 plaintiffs in the case, and found PacifiCorp also liable to a broader class of thousands of homeowners affected by the fires. Read more here.