Oregon jury awards $85 million to 9 victims of deadly 2020 wildfires

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — An Oregon jury has awarded $85 million to nine victims of wildfires that ravaged the state in 2020. It is the latest verdict in a series of legal proceedings that are expected to put the utility PacifiCorp on the hook for billions of dollars over its liability for the deadly blazes. An attorney for the plaintiffs is thanking the jury for Tuesday’s verdict and for “holding PacifiCorp accountable.” The utility says it expects post-verdict rulings and insurance payments to bring its share of the verdict to just under $80 million. The fires were among the worst natural disasters in Oregon’s history, killing nine people, burning more than 1,875 square miles and destroying upward of 5,000 homes and other structures.