Berkshire Utility Wins Appeal in Oregon Wildfire Case

Ruling could wipe out over $1 billion in damages already awarded to fire victims.

Apr. 8, 2026 at 9:05pm by Ben Kaplan

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A photorealistic studio still life featuring a stack of legal documents, a gavel, and a utility pole insulator, conceptually representing the corporate legal battles surrounding a utility company's wildfire liability.A legal victory for a utility company leaves fire victims facing a more complex path to compensation.Portland Today

Berkshire Hathaway's PacifiCorp utility has won an appeals court challenge to a 2023 jury verdict in an Oregon wildfire case that exposed the company to billions in potential losses. A state appeals court ruled that the original trial was improperly handled as a class action, potentially forcing fire victims to start over in pursuing damages.

Why it matters

The appeals court decision is a major reprieve for PacifiCorp, one of the largest grid operators in the western U.S. The company was facing potentially crippling liability from the 2023 jury verdict, which found it responsible for sparking a devastating wildfire.

The details

In 2023, a Portland jury awarded over $1 billion to fire victims who accused PacifiCorp of negligence in starting a wildfire that caused extensive damage. However, the appeals court has now ruled that the trial should not have been certified as a class action, potentially forcing the victims to pursue individual claims rather than a consolidated case.

  • The original jury verdict was reached in 2023.
  • The appeals court ruling was issued on April 8, 2026.

The players

PacifiCorp

A subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. and one of the largest grid operators in the western United States.

Berkshire Hathaway Inc.

The multinational conglomerate holding company that owns PacifiCorp.

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What’s next

The case will now likely return to the lower court for further proceedings, with fire victims potentially having to pursue individual claims rather than a class action.

The takeaway

This ruling provides a major financial reprieve for Berkshire Hathaway's utility subsidiary, PacifiCorp, which was facing potentially crippling liability from the original jury verdict. However, it also means fire victims may have to restart their legal battle to recover damages.