One thousand survivors of the 2020 Labor Day wildfires are suing utility company PacifiCorp for $30 billion, following a string of payouts made to victims of the 2020 fires.
The lawsuit was filed Monday in Multnomah County, with the 1,000 plaintiffs seeking $30 million each in damages — up to $5 million in economic damages, such as home or property, and up to $25 million for non-economic damages, such as emotional distress. The plaintiffs also want a trial by jury, according to the complaint.
PacifiCorp is Oregon's second largest utility and owned by Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway. The $30 billion sought is nearly four times the maximum loss the company had projected.
Last June, a jury found PacifiCorp liable for negligently failing to cut power to its 600,000 customers despite warnings from top fire officials. The jury determined it acted negligently and willfully and should have to pay punitive and other damages — a decision that applied to a class including the owners of up to 2,500 properties.
An Oregon jury had ordered PacifiCorp to pay more than $42 million to 10 victims in March. The U.S. government is also threatening to sue the company to recover nearly $1 billion in costs related to the 2020 wildfires; PacifiCorp is trying to negotiate a settlement.
The fires were among the worst natural disasters in Oregon’s history. 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 Associated Press contributed to the reporting of this article.
