![]() ![]() ![]() “We are disappointed in and disagree with the jury’s decision in this case,” PacifiCorp said in an emailed statement. PacifiCorp, owned by billionaire Warren Buffett’s Omaha, Nebraska-based investment conglomerate Berkshire Hathaway, said it plans to appeal. They killed nine people, burned more than 1,875 square miles (4,856 square kilometers) and destroyed upward of 5,000 homes and other structures. The fires were among the worst natural disasters in Oregon’s history. As a result, the workers repaired or replaced some damaged equipment without documenting or preserving evidence of how broken poles or power lines contributed to the fires. ![]() Kate Brown’s chief of staff and top fire officials, and that its power lines were responsible for multiple blazes.Īttorneys for the plaintiffs said that after the fires, PacifiCorp started an internal investigation - without communicating that to workers in the field. The property owners alleged that PacifiCorp negligently failed to shut off power to its 600,000 customers during a windstorm over Labor Day weekend, despite warnings from then-Gov. The jury on Monday awarded more than $70 million to 17 homeowners named as plaintiffs in the case, with damages to be determined later for a broader class that could include the owners of about 2,500 properties, as estimated by plaintiffs' attorneys. The decision came two days after the jurors found PacifiCorp liable for the fires and said it must pay for damage to property as well as emotional distress. (AP) - A jury on Wednesday ordered the electric utility PacifiCorp to pay punitive damages for causing devastating wildfires in Oregon in 2020 - on top of an earlier verdict already expected to amount to billions of dollars. Andrew Selsky/AP Show More Show Less 4 of4 FILE - George Coble carries a bucket of water to put out a tree still smoldering on his property destroyed by a wildfire on Sept. John Locher/AP Show More Show Less 3 of4 Plaintiff Rachelle McMaster wipes tears from her eyes as one of her attorneys greets her after a jury in Portland, Ore., on Monday, June 12, 2023, awarded her $4.5 million in non-economic damages and about $150,000 in economic damages after finding the electric utility PacifiCorp liable for wildfires in 2020. John Locher/AP Show More Show Less 2 of4 FILE - A forested area burned by the Riverside Fire is seen on Sept. 1 of4 FILE - A statue of a bear still stands by a home burned by the Beachie Creek Fire on Sept. ![]()
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