Jury: PacifiCorp must pay punitive damages for wildfires, plus award that could reach billions

By CLAIRE RUSH and GENE JOHNSON
Associated Press

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A jury in Oregon says the electric utility PacifiCorp must pay punitive damages for causing devastating wildfires in 2020. That’s on top of an earlier verdict already expected to amount to billions of dollars. The decision Tuesday came one day after the jurors found PacifiCorp liable for the fires and said it must pay for damage to property as well as emotional distress. The jury awarded $73 million to 17 homeowners named as plaintiffs in the case, with damages for a broader class involving the owners of nearly 2,500 other properties to be determined later. PacifiCorp said it would appeal. The company is owned by billionaire Warren Buffett’s Omaha, Nebraska-based investment conglomerate Berkshire Hathaway.