PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — After years of lawsuits from individuals and businesses impacted by the 2020 Labor Day wildfires, PacifiCorp has now been hit with a complaint from the federal government.
According to the lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court of Oregon on Thursday, the utility company’s negligence is what led to Douglas County’s devastating Archie Creek Fire. Court documents show the fire ignited early on Sept. 8, 2020, and wasn’t fully contained until Oct. 31 — when it had already burned more than 130,000 acres of land.
Plaintiffs alleged the damage included 67,074 acres of land owned and managed by federal officials.
“The United States incurred substantial suppression costs, reforestation and restoration costs, stabilization costs, and suffered devastating infrastructure and other damages, including without limitation ruined wildlife habitat, natural resource destruction, and timber loss,” attorneys wrote.
They added that PacifiCorp has contractual obligations under the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. The lawsuit accused the company of breaching its contract by failing to adequately maintain their power line equipment, failing to manage vegetation along power lines and neglecting to take safety precautions before and during a fire in a high-risk area.
The complaint also alleged the corporation has a history of safety violations — with the Oregon Public Utilities Commission issuing it at least 250 vegetation clearance violations annually from 2013 to 2020.
The government’s lawsuit was filed on the same day that OPUC approved the electric utility’s 8.5% rate hike for residential, commercial and industrial customers next year. The company initially requested a 17.9% hike, and noted it is “managing significantly higher insurance costs due to increased wildfire risk and activity in the region.”
PacifiCorp is “aware” of federal officials’ complaint involving the Archie Creek Fire, according to a statement the electric utility sent to KOIN 6.
“The company will review legal filings and will respond appropriately,” a PacifiCorp spokesperson added.
The corporation has already settled multi-million-dollar lawsuits with victims of the wildfire.
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