Idaho Power Co. agrees to pay $1.5 million in federal civil settlement over 2 Baker County fires

PORTLAND, Ore. (KTVZ) — The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon announced Thursday that Idaho Power Company, a Boise, Idaho-based utility that serves several states, including Oregon, has agreed to pay $1.5 million to settle federal allegations related to two Baker County wildfires several years ago.

The Powerline Fire ignited on May 31, 2014, and burned about 5 acres of federal land managed by the Bureau of Land Management. The Lime Hill Fire ignited on August 5, 2015, and burned approximately 2,592 acres of federal land managed by BLM and 9,337 acres of privately-owned land.

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.

Federal prosecutors contended in the civil action that the Powerline and Lime Hill fires were caused by the failure of structures on the Ontario-to-Quartz transmission line. The settlement reached is not an admission of liability by Idaho Power Company and the company denies the contentions.

This case was investigated by BLM with assistance from the U.S. Forest Service. The United States was represented in this matter by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carla McClurg and Alexis Lien for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of Oregon.