December 15, 2022 10:15 a.m.

Roseburg Forest Products has announced that it has agreed in principle with four law firms representing the majority of claims to settle the families’ property losses, personal injuries and wrongful death claims arising from the September 2nd Mill Fire, in Weed, California.

Company spokesman Pete Hillan said the four law firms – Reiner Slaughter Mainzer & Frankel, Parkinson Benson Potter, and Cotchett Pitre & McCarthy – represent more than 700 individuals impacted by the Mill Fire. Hillan said they hold real property and structure damage claims, personal property damage claims, personal injury claims, bodily injury claims and wrongful death claims, among other claims.

The release said the lawyers intend to recommend the agreed-upon settlement terms to their clients and will await review and approval of the proposed settlements by the clients themselves. The terms of the agreement in principle stipulate that the amount of each family’s settlement, if agreed to by the family, will be confidential.

Hillan said, “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”.

Reports indicate that two people died in the fire, with three others sustaining injuries. Around 120 structures burned in that fire. At one point around 7,500 people were forced to evacuate, due to the fire. A few days after the fire began, company officials announced they were investigating whether the possible failure of a water-spraying machine from a third-party equipment manufacturer, led to the ignition of that fire. The company began a community restoration fund of up to $50 million dollars for the initial recovery needs of impacted residents.