An Oregon jury on Wednesday ordered PacifiCorp to pay roughly $50 million to 10 victims of the state’s catastrophic 2020 Labor Day wildfires, marking the latest in a string of bellwether trials that have brought total damages in the class action to $385 million.
The latest verdict covers victims of three separate fires — Echo Mountain Complex, South Obenchain, and Santiam Canyon — and includes $35.5 million in compensatory damages, with economic damages to be doubled and punitive damages tacking on an additional 25%.
This seventh damages trial stems from a 2023 jury ruling that found PacifiCorp grossly negligent for failing to shut off power during extreme wind conditions, sparking blazes that killed 11 people and destroyed more than 4,000 structures.
Plaintiffs’ attorneys said the verdict reaffirms the utility’s responsibility. “Month after month, juries have been consistent and clear: PacifiCorp must answer for the devastation it caused,” said Nicholas Rosinia of Edelson PC.
Matthew Preusch of Keller Rohrback LLP added that the damage extended beyond homes to long-term displacement and trauma. “It is past time for PacifiCorp to step up and make all survivors whole,” he said.
The class action represents about 2,500 members, with five more trials scheduled in 2025 and plaintiffs’ counsel urging the court to schedule as many as five trials per month in 2026.
PacifiCorp said it has settled more than 2,000 wildfire-related claims since 2020 and remains open to resolving reasonable claims. The utility also emphasized that it is appealing several rulings, including class certification, and pointed to a recent Oregon Department of Forestry report that found its power lines did not contribute to the spread of the Santiam Canyon fire.
The company is a subsidiary of Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway, which plaintiffs’ counsel accused of dragging its feet on compensation. “Instead of acknowledging the catastrophe they caused, Berkshire thinks that it can intimidate fire victims and delay trials,” said Cody Bern of Stoll Berne.
The case is Jeanyne James et al. v. PacifiCorp et al., case number 20cv33885, in the Circuit Court of the State of Oregon for Multnomah County.
