State agency earmarks nearly $28 million to settle portion of lawsuits tied to pair of Orange, Riverside county wildfires
The California Transportation Commission on Thursday agreed to set aside nearly $28 million to settle some of the property damage lawsuits related to a pair of wildfires on the border of Orange and Riverside counties that scorched thousands of acres and destroyed dozens of structures.
Approximately 600 home and business owners have filed suit against the state transportation agency in connection with the Canyon Fire 1 and Canyon Fire 2 in 2017, citing damage to homes, outbuildings, vehicles, landscaping and irrigation systems, according to California Transportation Commission staff reports.
The agency has reached an approximately $27.7 million settlement with insurance companies representing “a portion” of the property owners, according to the staff report.
Members of the California Transportation Commission unanimously approved the settlement money without comment at their meeting Thursday in Riverside.
It isn’t clear how many properties will be covered by the approved settlement funds. But the funds approved this week aren’t expected to end lawsuits tied to the Canyon fires.
Staff reports note that litigation involving approximately 132 individuals and business who are not going through insurance companies is still active, so the agency at some point will likely have to pay additional money to settle those remaining suits.
The initial Canyon Fire ignited near the Orange and Riverside county border on Sept. 25, 2017 when roadway flares used by Caltrans during a sweeping operation at the 91 Freeway and Coal Canyon were knocked by another vehicle into dry brush.
Spreading from the roadside, the blaze blackened more than 2,600 acres and damaged or destroyed six structures before it was declared contained on Oct. 4, 2017.
Five days later, embers from a still smoldering oak tree ignited Canyon Fire 2. Driven by 50-mph Santa Ana winds, the second blaze torched more than 9,200 acres over an eight day period, destroying or damaging 80 structures.
In its staff reports, the transportation agency acknowledges that the roadway flares were the “probable cause” of the first fire, and that embers from that fire led directly to the second blaze.
Following the canyon fires, Caltrans officials said they would review their procedures regarding the use of road flares. Under existing policy, road flares are not supposed to be used on days when there are red flag warnings due to high winds and low humidity.
Commissioners during Thursday’s meeting asked transportation agency staff to prepare an update on the “flare deployment” policy.