Douglas PUD approves settlement in 2012 wildfire damage

June 27--EAST WENATCHEE -- The Douglas County PUD will settle a suit against an organic orchard whose controlled burn led to a 2012 brushfire that damaged PUD property.

The Crane Road Fire additionally swept through state wildlife habitat and two nearby private orchards, prompting four separate lawsuits against organic grower All That Jazz LLC. The PUD settlement, approved by commissioners Monday, will award the district $175,000.

Other claimants against All That Jazz are agricultural landowners Robert and Alisia Foyle, Spokane-based orcharding firm BANRAC LLC, and the state Department of Fish and Wildlife. The four separate suits were consolidated into a single court case in 2015.

Orchard workers for All That Jazz started the Crane Road Fire on Aug. 1, 2012, by using a tractor-mounted propane torch to burn weeds in an organic pear orchard. A wind spread the fire to nearby grass and brush, and ultimately led to the burning of about 12,500 acres.

In addition to private land, the fire burned PUD powerlines and equipment as well as a portion of the state-managed 8,200-acre Wells Wildlife Area, managed by Fish and Wildlife as a habitat for threatened sharp-tailed grouse. The PUD estimated its damages at just over $281,000.

The PUD and all other parties reached a settlement through mediation June 19, according to the resolution adopted by the commissioners. All That Jazz's insurance coverage limit was less than the damages claimed, and the orchard firm agreed to pay additional funds toward settlement.

No settlement agreement has been entered in the lawsuit's case file itself, and there is no record of what settlements might be paid to the three remaining claimants. The All That Jazz orchard was owned by Wenatchee attorney Dale Foreman, who apologized to those affected after the fire.

Reach Jefferson Robbins at 509-664-7123 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at @JRobbinsWW. Contact him securely by PGP key.

___

(c)2017 The Wenatchee World (Wenatchee, Wash.)

Visit The Wenatchee World (Wenatchee, Wash.) at www.wenatcheeworld.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.