Union Pacific to pay $102-million settlement for Storrie Fire

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Union Pacific to pay $102-million settlement for Storrie Fire

SAN FRANCISCO (CFN) - The Union Pacific Corp announced on Tuesday a $102 million settlement with the U.S. government to resolve a dispute arising from a railroad equipment caused forest fire, the "Storrie Fire" in California's Plumas and Lassen National Forests in August 2000..

The settlement is the largest recovery in U.S. Forest Service history for a forest fire case, according to a statement from the U.S. Department of Justice.

The railroad said it had incurred a $10 million liability at the time of the fire and insurance would provide for the balance of the settlement, "They did admit negligence and did admit liability," Scott said.

After failing to properly clear the area and lack of proper spark shields, it's believed rail saws and grinders sent out hot pieces of metal that started the fire, along the Feather River Canyon north of the town of Storrie.

The agreement with the government settles claims from the Storrie fire in California in August 2000 started by sparks from equipment used by railroad track repair crews.

More than 2,600 firefighters, air tanker pilots and helicopter crews fought the Storrie fire, which burned a 56,000-acre area for three weeks.

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Every year in California thousands of wildfires start throughout the state. In most cases, the dispatch center sending the initial resources to a wildland fire will designate a name for the fire, but the first on scene engine or fire official can also name the incident. Fires are usually named for the area in which they start – a geographical location, local landmark, street, lake, mountain, peak, etc. Quickly naming the fire provides responding fire resources with an additional locater, and allows fire officials to track and prioritize incidents by name. For example during the Southern California Fire Siege of 2003, the largest wildland fire in California history, the Cedar Fire in San Diego County, was named after the Cedar Creek Falls area where it started. The destructive Old Fire, which burned during the same time period in San Bernardino County, was named after the road along which it started - Old Waterman Canyon Road.

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Thursday, July 24, 2008