PORTLAND, Ore. (Nov 19, 2025) — PacifiCorp has agreed to pay $150 million to settle claims from 1,434 plaintiffs tied to the devastating Labor Day 2020 wildfires, the company announced Wednesday. The agreement marks the latest—and one of the largest—resolutions in a series of legal battles stemming from multiple fires in Oregon and California.
Since 2020, PacifiCorp says it has settled nearly 4,200 wildfire-related claims totaling $1.6 billion, representing about 70% of individual claims in both states. Most remaining cases are part of the ongoing James class action litigation.
“We are doing the responsible thing and we are gratified to resolve these claims to provide plaintiffs with some closure to move on,” said Ryan Flynn, Pacific Power president. “The process that led to this settlement represents the fairest and most efficient way to resolve wildfire litigation. Class action litigation is costly, complex, takes several years to run its course and is a barrier to reasonable outcomes.”
The company said it remains willing to settle “all outstanding reasonable claims” related to the Echo Mountain, 242 and South Obenchain fires. Nearly 20% of plaintiffs in the James class action have now reached agreements with PacifiCorp.
PacifiCorp also reiterated that it will continue to fight claims related to the Beachie Creek and Santiam Canyon fires, citing findings from an Oregon Department of Forestry report that concluded the company’s equipment “did not initiate or contribute” to those fires.
The 1,434 plaintiffs in the latest settlement were represented by the Warren Allen, Swigart Law Group and Spreter | Petiprin law firms.
“We are glad to have reached reasonable settlements with PacifiCorp for our current clients,” said George McCoy, an attorney at Warren Allen. “Those outcomes reflect a shared commitment with PacifiCorp to resolving disputes through a principled approach that serves affected Oregon communities. This matter will not be resolved through targeted or punitive legislation. It will not be resolved through a drawn-out trial process. Rather, it will be resolved by continuing the collaborative problem-solving approach used to reach this agreement that benefits Oregonians. We will continue our efforts to help rebuild Oregon communities recovering from the 2020 Labor Day wildfires.”
PacifiCorp said the settlement provides relief to survivors while helping stabilize the utility’s financial position and ensure reliable power for 2 million customers across six states, including 630,000 in Oregon.
“This settlement between plaintiffs’ counsel and PacifiCorp demonstrates that the parties can come to the table and work out agreements to compensate Oregonians impacted by wildfire,” said Oregon Rep. Pam Marsh, D-Ashland. “We need our utilities to keep the lights on and to make continued investments building out the electrical grid to support growth throughout our state. To do that, they must be in a place where the market and investors see them as stable.”
Negotiations were overseen by Judge Peter Lichtman (Ret.) of Signature Resolution, who has served as Special Master and Mediator in wildfire cases for more than five years.
“In mediating this and other Labor Day 2020 fire cases, I found PacifiCorp to be professional, engaged, and genuinely committed to resolving valid claims that were presented to it,” Lichtman said. “PacifiCorp has consistently carried out its settlement negotiations in good faith, making sure that the outcomes are fair and reasonable to the affected families.”
The announcement follows separate agreements reached in recent weeks with more than 90 Oregon wineries and timber companies. Those settlements were mediated by Judge Karsten H. Rasmussen (Ret.), a longtime Lane County Circuit Court judge and former Democratic state senator.
“I have mediated hundreds of cases stemming from the Labor Day 2020 fires,” Rasmussen said. “I can confidently say that in every case involving PacifiCorp, PacifiCorp has taken a respectful and collaborative approach to working with plaintiff’s counsel to resolve claims for negatively impacted individuals. This has resulted in efficient resolution that provides impacted individuals with reasonable and timely settlements and afforded these folks the opportunity to move on with their lives.”
PacifiCorp said it has invested heavily in wildfire mitigation and infrastructure upgrades, noting that the growing wildfire threat requires coordinated efforts among utilities, governments and communities.
“The growing threat of wildfires affects everyone and is larger than any single company, industry or government,” the company said. “It is critical that wildfire-related issues be solved holistically, with businesses, governments and key stakeholders working together to design and implement constructive, enduring solutions.”
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