The role those power lines played in igniting fires has become a central question in multiple lawsuits over the 2020 wildfire season, when powerful east winds swept fire across more than a million acres in Oregon, killing nine people and burning thousands of homes.
The disclosure of a meeting between state officials and utilities, , comes from a deposition filed by plaintiffs鈥 attorneys in a class-action lawsuit against PacifiCorp, one of the West鈥檚 largest utility companies. to safely operate and maintain infrastructure, and failed to heed warnings about historically powerful winds.
The latest filing , chief of fire protection for the Oregon Department of Forestry, that shows the state wanted several utilities to temporarily shut down power lines to limit the risk of starting a fire in hot, dry conditions and windstorms.
Grafe testified that on Sept 7., 2020, hours before the windstorms that turned that year into one of Oregon鈥檚 most destructive wildfire seasons, Oregon Gov. Kate Brown鈥檚 chief of staff organized a conference call with representatives from several utilities, including PacifiCorp. In that call, according to the deposition, state officials believed they made it clear to the utilities that they could avoid potential fire ignitions by shutting down power lines.
It was atypical for the state to organize a call advising utilities to de-energize their power lines, according to Grafe鈥檚 testimony, and state leaders have no authority to order utilities to do so.
鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 my authority to direct; but I prepared, in that conversation, everybody to understand the gravity of the situation and advised that more fires will occur from utilities; with the wind there鈥檚 high potential for that to occur,鈥 Grafe said in the deposition.
OPB has previously reported that lines around the time the fires began. In March, between PacifiCorp employees in which they worried about the utility鈥檚 transmission lines potentially playing a part in starting the fires.
Attorneys and media representatives for PacifiCorp did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Previously, spokesperson for the utility have declined comment on the case, citing company policy regarding pending litigation.
Lawyers for the plaintiffs are asking for a judge to sanction PacifiCorp over not previously disclosing the meeting in which state officials advised them to de-energize power lines.
鈥淚t defies imagination that this meeting occurred without any paper trail whatsoever,鈥 the plaintiffs鈥 lawyers wrote, 鈥渂ut Plaintiffs can find no document in PacifiCorp鈥檚 document productions relating to this meeting.鈥
The lawyers have that might show its involvement, and that the company has used delay tactics to prevent plaintiffs in the case from gathering key evidence.
PacifiCorp 鈥 including in over its alleged role in the 2020 Archie Creek Fire in Southern Oregon.
The trial in the class action suit is set to begin April 24.
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