OMAHA (dpa-AFX) - Berkshire Hathaway's utility subsidiary PacifiCorp has agreed to pay $575 million to resolve claims brought by the United States for damages resulting from six major wildfires in California and Oregon. The U.S. Department of Justice stated that the settlement addresses allegations that PacifiCorp's electrical lines negligently started the fires.
In California, the settlement covers two devastating incidents. The Slater Fire, which began on September 8, 2020, burned 157,229 acres of federal land across the Klamath, Six River, and Rogue River Siskiyou National Forests. The McKinney Fire, which started on July 29, 2022, near the Klamath National Forest, destroyed 39,000 acres of federal land.
Four Oregon fires are also included in the settlement. The 242 Fire began on September 7, 2020, near Chiloquin and burned 8,916 acres of federal land. The Archie Creek Fire, starting on September 8, 2020, near French Creek in the Umpqua National Forest, consumed 67,000 acres. The Echo Mountain Complex Fire, which broke out on September 7, 2020, near Otis, Oregon, burned about 2,500 acres, including federal land. Finally, the South Obenchain Fire, beginning on September 8, 2020, east of Eagle Point, destroyed 14,780 acres of federal land.
According to the Justice Department, the settlement funds will help repay the United States for the substantial costs incurred in fighting the fires. This is particularly critical as the U.S. Forest Service now spends more than half of its annual budget on wildfire suppression. Additionally, the funds will be distributed to the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management to support restoration efforts across the 290,000 acres of public land that were burned.
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