August 25, 2022 9:30 a.m.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon has announced that Idaho Power Company has agreed to pay $1.5 million to settle allegations by the United States relating to the May 2014 Powerline and August 2015 Lime Hill fires in Baker County.
A release said the Idaho-based utility provides electricity to several states, including Oregon.
The Powerline Fire ignited on May 31, 2014 and burned approximately 5 acres of federal land managed by the Bureau of Land Management. The Lime Hill Fire ignited on August 5th, 2015 and burned approximately 2,592 acres of federal land managed by the BLM and 9,337 acres or privately-owned land.
The release said Idaho Power Company has a utility right-of-way on BLM land in Baker County on which it owns and operates its 138kV Ontario-to-Quartz transmission line. The United States contended in the civil action that both fires were caused by the failure of structures on the transmission line. The settlement reached is not an admission of liability by Idaho Power Company and the company denies the United States’ contentions.
The case was investigated by the BLM with assistance from the U.S. Forest Service.