Robins Cloud Partner Amanda LoCurto was recently interviewed by KTVU Fox 2 for a televised segment about how hundreds of victims affected by the McKinney Fire have received utility bills from Pacific Power.
As Amanda noted in her interview, at least 300 people affected by the McKinney Fire in Siskiyou County have received bills from Pacific Power, with at least four dozen of those recipients being people who lost everything in the fire. “I think what it shows is an incredible lack of understanding and sympathy and tact,” she told KTVU.
Amanda also noted how Pacific Power’s lack of empathy is evident in a letter sent to customers detailing how the company has “taken additional safety precautions… to reduce the risk of wildfire” and offering tips for dealing with power outages. According to one recipient who lives in Klamath River, the letter was dated a week after the deadly wildfire had already destroyed his home and 5-acre property.
And while Pacific Power’s parent company PacifiCorp has since issued a statement that it is working to help affected customers and offering access to billing and payment relief, including discontinued billing and payment plans, the sentiment is too little too late for many victims – especially as a power line circuit operated by Pacific Power is under investigation for potentially playing a role in the fire.
As Partner LoCurto told KTVU:
“By handing a bill to these fire victims, I think it sends a message that they care more about keeping their shareholders happy than about making things right with the people in Klamath River.”
Legal Support for McKinney Fire Victims
Robins Cloud LLP is currently representing victims affected by the McKinney Fire, which began on July 29, 2002 and has since become California’s largest wildfire of the year.
As an award-winning civil trial practice with a long history of litigating California wildfire lawsuits against utilities and insurance companies, we are available to speak with property owners throughout the region who have been impacted by the fire. If you have questions about your legal options and how we can help, contact us for a FREE consultation.
Read More:
https://nypost.com/2022/08/31/california-mckinney-wildfire-victims-report-power-bills-sent-to-homes/
https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/world-news/family-whose-house-burned-down-27875369