Wildland

Firefighter and Utilities Settle Burn Injury case for $5 Million

A firefighter who was severely burned in 2015 while battling a wildland fire in Washington state has reached a $5 million settlement with two utility companies who were blamed for causing the fire. Daniel Lyon Jr. was the sole survivor of a US Forest Service engine company that was overrun by fire on August 19, 2015 during the Twisp River Fire.

CalFire Settles With In-N-Out Burger Over 2017 Fire

A lawsuit filed by CalFire to recoup the costs associated with the Huasna Fire in 2017, has been settled with In-N-Out Burger. The fire in San Luis Obispo County burned nearly 250 acres over the course for four days and cost nearly $1.2 million to fight.

California Utility Settles With Municipalities for $360 Million for 2017-2018 Fires

A California utility that was sued by 23 municipalities and special districts over three wildland fires and a fire-related mud-slide, has agreed to settle all claims for $360 Million. Southern California Edison agreed to compensate the public entities for the response costs they incurred as well as the damages they sustained

Utah Widow Suing CalFire Over Tanker Related LODD

The widow of Utah battalion chief killed last year while deployed at a wildland fire in California, is suing CalFire, the owner of a 747 airtanker, and two Cal Fire firefighters. Heather Burchett filed suit for the wrongful death of Battalion Chief Matthew Burchett, of the Draper City Fire Department

Montana Firefighter Facing Sexual Assault Charges

A Montana firefighter is facing criminal charges for falsely telling two young women they needed to evacuate due to an approaching wildland fire, and then sexually assaulting them. Edward Chevallier, 55, is facing a total of four charges stemming from an evacuation order he gave to the women which he attributed to the Horesefly fire.

CalFire Sues to Recover Costs Of Fighting Wildland Fire

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) filed suit last week against a man it claims started the Bridge Fire in Cambria in 2017. The suit was filed in San Luis Obispo Superior Court against Andrew William Dreyfus and seeks $65,532 in damages.

Gender Reveal Explosion Video Released Following Arizona Wildland Plea

After several re-reads of the headline, I still could not quite grasp what the story was about. It wasn’t until I watched the news video that I realized what occurred. An off-duty Border Patrol agent fired a rifle at an explosive target during a gender-reveal party sparking a massive wildfire.

Greek Wildland Fire Prompts Lawsuit

A wildland fire that claimed the lives of at least 91 people in the Greek village of Mati on July 23, has already sparked a lawsuit by the relatives of two of the victims. The victims, 70-year-old Vassilis Katsargyris and 73-year-old Maria Pagomenou were trying to evacuate their home in the neighborhood of Neos Voutzas when they were trapped by the fire.

Ventura Joins Parties Suing Utility For Thomas Fire

The City of Ventura has joined a growing number of parties suing Southern California Edison over the Thomas Fire last year. The lawsuit claims that the utility is responsible for causing the fire that began December 4, 2017.

Man Who Lost Wife and Daughters in Gatlinburg Fire Sues Park Service For $14 million

A man who lost his wife and two daughters in the devastating wildland fire that tore through Gatlinburg in 2016, has filed a $14 million lawsuit against the National Park Service claiming negligence by its supervisors allowed the fire to grow to an uncontrollable size. Michael B. Reed filed suit last week naming the United States of America as the sole defendant.

Chiefs, Deployments, Reimbursements and Overtime

Today’s burning question: If an Assistant Chief who is classified as an exempt executive employee is deployed on a 2-week wildland or USAR deployment that is fully reimbursable through FEMA or the state, can the fire department only pay the assistant chief his regular weekly salary?

$2 Million Wrongful Death Suit Filed Over Gatlinburg Wildland Fire

The family of a man killed in the wildland fire that tore through Gatlinburg, Tennessee last year has filed suit against Sevier County and the city. Deborah Spillers, the daughter of Gatlinburg pastor Rev. Ed Taylor, filed suit Monday in Sevier County Circuit Court accusing the city and county of negligence. The suit seeks $2 million in damages.

Did Bonuses to Utility Company Executives Lead to Major California Wildland Fire

NBC Bay Area just completed an extensive investigative reporting piece that poses a very troubling question: Did the prospect of bonuses tempt Pacific Gas & Electric Company executives to cut corners that caused the Butte fire in September, 2015 that burned over 70,000 acres, destroyed over 500 homes, and killed two people?

AZ Firefighter Sues To Obtain Air To Ground Radio Recordings from Yarnell Hill Fire

A former Arizona firefighter is suing the United States Department of Agriculture to obtain recordings and transcripts of air-to-ground radio transmissions that took place during the Yarnell Hill Fire in 2013. The fire killed 19 members of the Granite Mountain Hotshots.

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