Lumber firm to settle in Mill Fire
The Northern California lumber company accused of igniting the Mill Fire in Weed (Siskiyou County) has reached a settlement agreement with hundreds of people who filed wrongful death, personal injury and property loss claims in the deadly conflagration.
Roseburg Forest Products of Springfield, Ore., announced the settlement Wednesday.
It was agreed to by lawyers representing 700 individuals impacted by the Mill Fire. As party of the deal, terms will remain confidential, the lumber company said.
Plaintiffs attorney Frank Pitre of Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy in Burlingame — one of the firms representing people who had sued Roseburg — confirmed that the case had been settled on behalf of his client, and “it is an outstanding result,” he said. “The major impetus for this resolution was to make sure the victims were promptly compensated and incentivize them to rebuild their community after losing their homes and all of their worldly possessions.”
The other law firms representing plaintiffs are: Reiner Slaughter Mainzer & Frankel of Chico; Parkinson Benson Potter of San Francisco; and Singleton Schreiber of San Diego. In some instances, terms of the settlement must still be approved by the clients.
The fire went up on Sept. 2 at the Roseburg Forest Products Veneer Manufacturing Plant in Weed, a city of 2,862 in rural Siskiyou County. Before it was brought under control, 20 days later, it had burned 3,935 acres and destroyed portions of Weed and neighboring Lake Shastina, and Edgewood. More than 100 homes were destroyed. The fire claimed the lives of Marilyn Hilliard, 73, and Lorenza Glover, 65.
“We know we can’t bring back loved ones nor the homes that were destroyed, but Roseburg’s substantial settlement offers, hopefully, will provide the resources for homeowners to rebuild their houses and the community,” said Pete Hillan, a Roseburg spokesperson, in a statement.
After closing for 70 days during the fire investigation, the mill reopened on Nov. 9 and employs 140 workers. It is the largest employer in Weed. The final cause of the Mill Fire has not yet been determined by CalFire.