ODF report: Beachie Creek Fire embers, not power lines, sparked 2020 Labor Day fires in Santiam Canyon

By Alma McCarty (KGW), Amy-Xiaoshi DePaola, KGW

SANTIAM JUNCTION, Ore. (KGW) — Investigators found no evidence of power line ignitions causing the deadly and destructive 2020 Labor Day fires in Santiam Canyon, according to a recent Oregon Department of Forestry report. The fires killed five people and destroyed thousands of homes. 

ODF investigators found that although downed power lines started seven out of the 19 fires in Santiam Canyon, the power lines "did not contribute to the spread," and residents and firefighters were able to quickly suppress those fires. It was the other dozen fires that spread out of control and caused all the damage.

Investigators also determined that those "remaining ignitions" were likely caused by embers from the Beachie Creek Fire, which spread across the area. The report explained that rising heat and gases, as well as strong winds, can carry wildfire embers miles away from the original blaze and start "spot fires."

The investigation also found no evidence of human-caused factors like arson or natural causes such as lightning in the fire or its spread. 

The ODF report was released five years after the fires, which left many of the area's residents and wildlife still attempting to recover, even years later. 

“We recognize the trauma that many Oregonians experienced during the Labor Day Fires, which is why the department is dedicated to making sure these investigations, and every investigation, are thorough and a complete picture of what happened,” said ODF's Kyle Williams, deputy of fire operations, in a statement Wednesday. 

ODF's Levi Hopkins noted that this kind of investigation was "rare" for the agency, acknowledging that the extensive investigation "took longer than even we expected."

PacifiCorp, the parent company of Oregon's second-largest utility Pacific Power, has been sued by 2020 wildfire survivors amid a string of payouts made to other victims. 

In June 2023, a jury found PacifiCorp liable for negligently failing to cut power to its 600,000 customers — despite warnings from top fire officials — and ordered the company to pay damages to property owners. Last year, an Oregon jury also ordered the utility company to pay more than $42 million to 10 victims. 

At the time, the U.S. government was threatening to sue the company to recover nearly $1 billion in costs related to the 2020 wildfires; PacifiCorp is trying to negotiate a settlement.

PaciCorp responded to the report on Wednesday, saying the report vindicates the company's "longstanding assertion" that its equipment was not the cause. 

“While we continue to recognize that the 2020 wildfires were undeniably tragic, the thorough investigation by ODF provides important context and details absent during the trial proceedings,” said Pacific Power president Ryan Flynn in a statement.

The report also comes as homeowners that live in high-risk wildfire areas defined by the state are required to meet new building codes and reduce vegetation around their homes under new “wildfire hazard maps,” which some state House and Senate Republicans want to do away with. These wildfire hazard maps are a cause of concern because some insurance companies are pulling their coverage from homeowners, saying it's too expensive for them to insure some homes.

Last year was the costliest wildfire season in Oregon history and the largest in terms of acres burned.