Legal
Warren Buffett’s PacifiCorp Sued by Oregon Wineries Over Fire Damage
- Berkshire unit blamed for soot on grapes in Willamette Valley
- Company was found negligent at trial for 2020 Labor Day fires
A worker repairs a power line following a wildfire in Mill City, Oregon on Sept. 13, 2020.
Photographer: Rob Schumacher/Pool/AFP/Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
Berkshire Hathaway Inc.’s PacifiCorp was sued by Oregon wineries claiming that smoke from wildfires ignited by the utility’s equipment in 2020 destroyed their grape harvests, resulting in tens of millions of dollars in damages and lost wine sales.
The lawsuits filed Friday in state courts come after the largest electric grid operator in the western US was found negligent last month in an unprecedented jury trial for not preventing the destruction of about 2,500 properties in four fires on Labor Day 2020. PacifiCorp has projected that the case could end up costing it $11 billion but has said it’s confident the verdict will be overturned on appeal.