Source:
Business JournalUnion Pacific Railroad Co. will pay $102 million to settle a landmark civil lawsuit brought by the U.S. government over fires in the Plumas and Lassen national forests in 2000.
The Storrie forest fire broke out on Aug. 17, 2000 when a section crew working for the railroad was repairing track in Plumas National Forest.
The fire blazed three weeks, burned more than 52,000 acres, and 2,600 firefighters were called in to battle it.
The settlement is the biggest ever in a suit over a forest fire's origin, officials said, and Union Pacific's payment is not only for the costs of fighting the blaze but also for loss of recreation areas and wildlife habitats.
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