Willamette Valley Vineyards, a winemaking company with multiple tasting rooms and vineyards on the West Coast, has filed a lawsuit against electric utility Pacific Power and its parent company PacifiCorp. The vineyard claims that Pacific Power played a role in the 2020 Labor Day wildfires that damaged its property in the Turner area. The company is seeking $8.1 million in damages.
PacifiCorp has previously been held negligent in the wildfires for failing to cut down power lines during a windstorm. In June of this year, a Multnomah County jury awarded over $90 million to 17 victims of the incident, which resulted in nine deaths and extensive damage to land. PacifiCorp may be liable for additional punitive damages for others affected by the wildfires.
According to court documents filed in late July, Willamette Valley Vineyards suffered significant losses, including a loss of approximately $2.7 million in sales, revenue, and repair expenses as a result of fires such as the Santiam, Echo Mountain, ArchieCreek Complex, 242, and South Obenchain fires.
Willamette Valley Vineyards CEO and Founder Jim Bernau believes that PacifiCorp should take more responsibility for the damage caused to the Oregon wine industry by the smoke. He stated that PacifiCorp should follow the example of other power companies, such as PGE, by turning off transmission lines when requested to do so by the State Fire Marshal.
PacifiCorp, however, maintains that it has taken steps to mitigate the risk of wildfires. The utility company developed a Wildfire Mitigation Plan in 2018, which includes wildfire risk modeling software and internal emergency management. PacifiCorp asserts that it has resolved previous claims and will continue to address reasonable claims.
These lawsuits and excessive wildfire damages are threatening Pacific Power’s ability to provide essential utility services, according to the company. They claim that out-of-state plaintiff attorneys, who have a significant financial stake in the outcomes, are pursuing these damages.