PORTLAND, Ore. (NEWSnet/AP) — Pacific Power, part of PacifiCorp, has agreed to a $178 million settlement with Oregon plaintiffs related to wildfires that ravaged the state in 2020.

The majority of the 403 plaintiffs in the settlement Monday were affected by Echo Mountain Complex Fire that devastated Oregon’s central coast, said George McCoy, one of the plaintiffs' attorneys. Others were affected by the Santiam Fire that raged east of Salem in northwestern Oregon.

PacifiCorp faces additional lawsuits, including one filed in May by Oregon wineries and vineyards. Wine producers alleged the utility’s decision to not cut power contributed to blazes, whose smoke damaged grapes and reduced harvest yield.

In June 2023, a jury found PacifiCorp liable for failing to cut power to 600,000 customers despite warnings from fire officials.

Last week, utility regulators rejected a request from PacifiCorp that sought to limit its liability in wildfire lawsuits.

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