181 Firefighters Called To The Horton Fire In Arizona, And Chaos In Oregon After Feds Sue Over Archie Creek Fire.
The Horton Fire nears 1,000 acres.
I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and Holiday week. Surprisingly, a lot has been happening in the run-up to the New Year in wildfire. I’ll get to the 1,000-acre fire in Arizona, but let's get through the Oregon chaos that’s been unfolding this week due to wildfires and lawsuits.
Oregon bailed out its wildfire spending shortfall, adding another $218M in emergency funds this week. This is to pay down the state's $350M total cost of wildfires after 1.9M acres burned during the summer. The Oregon Department of Forestry had a wild couple of months with their wildfire budgets, and two top officials have been investigated for workforce misconduct. One has been removed.
This month, I have had numerous conversations with high-level managers inside ODF about the agency's recent whirlwind, and they are as baffled by it as the locals are.
On top of that, the Feds sued Oregon’s power supplier, PacifiCorp Power, this week for their role in the 2020 Archie Creek Fire. It's a big deal…. The company has already made numerous settlements with businesses and households, with payments and costs reaching $2.7B. The Feds did not say what dollar amount they were suing for, but estimates based on Justice Department statements near $625M.
After the Feds announced its lawsuit for damages against National Forest land, Oregon’s Department of Justice contacted PacifiCorp this week. Oregon’s DOJ said it might take similar action as the fire caused $109M of damages to State land. I think it’s important to note that PacifiCorp was bought for $5.1B years ago by Berkshire Hathaway, Warren Buffet’s company.
If these two lawsuits are paid in full, the Archie Fire will have cost nearly 68% of the company's total purchase price. Do you think rates will go up?
Well, they did.
On the exact same day as the lawsuit was filed, it was announced that Oregonians will see a 9.8% increase in their power costs starting January 1st. The Oregon Public Utilities Commission made the announcement but added that PacifiCorp was asking for a 21.6% increase, so they cut everyone a break…
Rates have surged by 50% since 2021. This latest price hike, prompted by wildfire lawsuits, has ignited public anger and resulted in new legislation on Christmas Eve to halt further rate increases until PacifiCorp settles all pending lawsuits.
Their most recent filings show that PacifiCorp has $381M in cash and $13.75B in debt. The Feds and Oregon are suing for more than double the company’s cash holdings.
So… bankruptcy or bailout? I say both.
Down in Arizona, while most families have been unwrapping gifts and being merry, 181 firefighters in the Tonto National Forest are collecting hazard pay and working overtime on the Horton Fire. This Arizona Fire has been burning for 12 days since its discovery on Saturday, December 12th. Weather conditions have been warmer and drier in the area due to La Nina, and the fuels involved are exceptionally dry due to the southern aspect of the fire.
Area fuels are abnormally dry due to La Nina conditions coupled with the southerly aspect of the fire area. Min RH of 40-42% expected Thursday with overnight recovery of 70 to 75%. 12/26. No precipitation was received on Wednesday morning. Possible light precip Wednesday afternoon into Thursday.
Horton Fire
The cause of the fire is still under investigation. Crews monitored fire activity on Christmas Day as it chunked through heavier fuels in the drainages near East Horton Creek and Horton Spring. A Type Three team is running the fire and has put a few communities on SET evacuation notice, but they are still in their homes this morning.
A forest closure is in effect around the fire until January 31st, 2025. The Horton Fire is now 928 acres and 15% contained.
Having 181 firefighters on a Tonto National Forest fire approaching January is kind of amazing, really. It’s a good end-of-the-year paycheck for those there: holiday pay, hazard pay, and some overtime right before the New Year. Crews may conduct some point protection firing Ops today, but fire managers say the smoke residents have been seeing is coming from the drainages cleaning up the heavier fuels over the last couple of days.
Many States are going into January with average snowfall deficits, mostly the Northern Rockies, including Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, and parts of Canada. The Great Lake states are also behind in annual snowfall.
Parts of Washington, Oregon, Nevada, and Northern California look well above normal. A short-term outlook may bring some precipitation to areas still waiting to see their first significant snow dump.
Arizona and New Mexico remain very dry, and the Horton Fire proves the desert landscape will still accept larger fires, even in December. Don’t be shocked if the Southwest ramps up early or even continues to see fires popping up as we enter the new year.
2025 is right around the corner.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone. I am 100% community-supported in everything I do, and I thank everyone who makes this possible.
Hydrate, do some pushups and go on a hike with a friend.
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