Oregon lawmakers to hold special session on emergency wildfire funding
1 week, 4 days ago

Oregon lawmakers to hold special session on emergency wildfire funding

Associated Press  

SALEM, Ore. — Oregon lawmakers are convening Thursday for a special session to discuss emergency funding to pay out millions in unpaid bills stemming from the state’s 2024 record wildfire season. New Mexico lawmakers in a July special session approved millions in emergency aid for wildfire victims, and states including North Dakota and Wyoming have requested federal disaster declarations to help with recovery costs. “The unprecedented 2024 wildfire season required all of us to work together to protect life, land, and property, and that spirit of cooperation must continue in order to meet our fiscal responsibilities,” Kotek said in a late November news release announcing the special session. In the upcoming legislative session, Kotek wants lawmakers to increase wildfire readiness and mitigation funding by $130 million in the state’s two-year budget cycle going forward.

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History of this topic

Wildfires in Oregon have been devastating for cattle ranchers. Where's the federal aid?
1 month, 2 weeks ago

Wildfires in Oregon have been devastating for cattle ranchers. Where's the federal aid?

NPR  

Wildfires in Oregon have been devastating for cattle ranchers. The state put in a big request for aid with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, but as NPR's Kirk Siegler reports, many ranchers say they're not included. KIRK SIEGLER, BYLINE: When one of eastern Oregon's biggest wildfires ignited last July, Bill Moore and his cowboys knew they had to act fast …

PacifiCorp will pay $178M to Oregon wildfire victims in latest settlement over deadly 2020 blazes
6 months, 2 weeks ago

PacifiCorp will pay $178M to Oregon wildfire victims in latest settlement over deadly 2020 blazes

Associated Press  

PORTLAND, Ore. — Pacific Power, part of PacifiCorp, said Monday it has agreed to a $178 million settlement with over 400 Oregon plaintiffs in the latest multimillion-dollar payout related to the deadly 2020 wildfires that ravaged the state. The majority of the 403 plaintiffs in the settlement Monday were affected by the Echo Mountain Complex Fire that devastated Oregon’s central …

PacifiCorp ordered to pay Oregon wildfire victims another $42M. Final bill could reach billions
9 months, 2 weeks ago

PacifiCorp ordered to pay Oregon wildfire victims another $42M. Final bill could reach billions

Associated Press  

PORTLAND, Oregon — A jury in Oregon has ordered PacifiCorp to pay more than $42 million to 10 victims of devastating wildfires on Labor Day 2020 — the latest verdict in litigation that is expected to see the electric utility on the hook for billions in damages. Last month, a jury awarded $85 million to a different set of nine …

Oregon power company to pay nearly $300 million to settle latest lawsuit over 2020 wildfires
1 year ago

Oregon power company to pay nearly $300 million to settle latest lawsuit over 2020 wildfires

Associated Press  

PORTLAND, Ore. — Electricity utility PacifiCorp will pay $299 million to settle a lawsuit brought by 463 individual plaintiffs who were harmed by devastating wildfires in southern Oregon in 2020. The utility has faced several lawsuits from property owners and residents who say PacifiCorp negligently failed to shut off power to its 600,000 customers during a windstorm over Labor Day …

Oregon wildfires case highlights the climate change risks to utilities
1 year, 6 months ago

Oregon wildfires case highlights the climate change risks to utilities

LA Times  

A jury verdict that found an Oregon power company liable for devastating wildfires — and potentially billions of dollars in damages — is highlighting the legal and financial risks utilities take if they fail to take proper precautions in a hotter, drier climate. “How do they pay for that and at the same time try to do grid-hardening at a …

Trial starts in $1.6-billion class action lawsuit over deadly 2020 Oregon fires
1 year, 7 months ago

Trial starts in $1.6-billion class action lawsuit over deadly 2020 Oregon fires

LA Times  

A trial connected to a $1.6-billion class action lawsuit against utility PacifiCorp over the catastrophic Labor Day 2020 wildfires in Oregon began Tuesday in Portland. Jurors in the Multnomah County trial will determine PacifiCorp’s responsibility, if any, in four of those blazes: the Santiam Canyon fires east of Salem; the Echo Mountain Complex near Lincoln City; the South Obenchain fire …

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