SPOKANE, Wash. — A national fire litigation law firm has formally filed a lawsuit against Inland Power & Light Company on behalf of a Spokane County property owner, accusing the company of being responsible for starting the Gray Fire in August.
According to the lawsuit filed in Spokane County Superior Court, Singleton-Schreiber claims Inland Power is responsible for destroying over 11,000 acres and 240 homes and buildings, including properties owned by their clients. At the time of the fire, the area was under a red flag warning, with high temperatures and winds in the area.
The lawsuit says the company's powerlines sparked surrounding plants and trees, starting the Gray Fire. Singleton Schreiber explains Inland Power designed their powerlines to be uninsulated and bare while carrying high-voltage electricity. Designing powerlines this way means leaves, trees and other vegetation could ignite into a larger fire.
“Inland Power was very aware as a utility company that Washington is deemed a high wildfire risk area, and they should have used this knowledge to properly protect their clients and the residents of Spokane County,” Gerald Singleton, managing partner of Singleton Schreiber, said. “Because of Inland Power & Light’s negligence, a life was lost, other lives were completely upended, and this community will never be the same.”
According to the lawsuit, the plaintiff is claiming damages of more than $100,000.
Inland Power gave a statement to KREM 2 which said, "We learned of the lawsuit this afternoon. As you know, the cause is still under investigation, and we will not make any speculations while an active investigation is still underway."
The Washington Department of Natural Resources has not released a cause. The first hearing on this lawsuit is scheduled for Jan. 5, 2024 at 8:30 a.m.
A second lawsuit against Inland Power & Light has been filed by a Spokane law firm representing more than 40 individuals impacted by the Gray fire.
The complaint filed by Eymann Allison Jones, P.S., claims an outdoor light on a private property constructed by Inland Power & Light is believed to be the source of the fire.
The complaint states that for months, eyewitnesses saw the light "flickering or otherwise not properly functioning." Following complaints, Inland Power & Light replaced the outdoor light and performed work on the wiring from nearby electrical equipment.
An eyewitness cited in the complaint said that on the day of the Gray Fire, they reported seeing "sparks or molten/burning material" coming from the outdoor light and nearby electrical equipment.
Investigators with the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) have collected the outdoor light for further investigation, according to the lawsuit.
DOWNLOAD THE KREM SMARTPHONE APP
DOWNLOAD FOR IPHONE HERE | DOWNLOAD FOR ANDROID HERE
HOW TO ADD THE KREM+ APP TO YOUR STREAMING DEVICE
ROKU: Add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching for KREM in the Channel Store.
Fire TV: Search for "KREM" to find the free app to add to your account. Another option for Fire TV is to have the app delivered directly to your Fire TV through Amazon.
Apple TV: Search "Spokane News from KREM" in the Apple store or follow this link.
To report a typo or grammatical error, please email webspokane@krem.com.