2020 Santiam Canyon fire not caused by downed power lines, ODF says

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A newly released Oregon Department of Forestry report says that downed power lines were not the cause of the deadly Santiam Canyon Fire in Sept. 2020.

Investigators determined that the cause of the fire was embers from the Beachie Creek Fire.

“The Santiam Canyon Wildfire Event is comprised of 19 reports of fire located within the protection boundaries of ODF’s North Cascade District. Seven of which were caused by down powerlines but determined to not contribute to the spread of large fires in the Santiam Canyon. The seven ignitions were suppressed by residents and/or other fire personnel,” the report said. “The remaining 12 reports of fire were determined to be caused by embers from the Beachie Creek Fire. The Oregon Department of Forestry did not investigate the Beachie Creek Fire because the U.S. Forest Service has jurisdiction over the fire.”

Nine people died and over 5,000 homes were destroyed in the Santiam Canyon Fire, which burned nearly 2,000 square miles.

“We recognize the trauma that many Oregonians experienced during the Labor Day Fires, which is why the department is dedicated to making sure these investigations, and every investigation, are thorough and a complete picture of what happened,” ODF Deputy of Fire Operations Kyle Williams said.

PacificCorp, the parent company of Pacific Power has faced a myriad of lawsuits regarding the 2020 fires and has paid out millions of dollars to victims of the fires. In their response to the report, the power company said that the findings supported their “longstanding assertion that electrical equipment was not the cause of widespread property damage in the Santiam Canyon during the 2020 wildfires.”

“The report confirms PacifiCorp’s long-held position that any wildfire ignitions linked to the company’s electrical equipment in the Santiam Canyon did not contribute to the widespread devastation that occurred when the Beachie Creek fire tore through the canyon,” said Pacific Power President Ryan Flynn. “While we continue to recognize that the 2020 wildfires were undeniably tragic, the thorough investigation by ODF provides important context and details absent during the trial proceedings.”