MEDICAL LAKE, Wash. — Washington's Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is adding its name to a laundry list of homeowners, attorneys, and insurance agencies suing Inland Power and Light.
In a lawsuit filed December 2, DNR claims IPL was negligent and at fault for the 2023 Gray Fire in Medical Lake, requesting nearly $940,000 in reimbursement for fighting and investigating the fire.
Earlier this year, a DNR investigation concluded faulty electrical lines on an Inland Power light pole sparked the blaze, which killed a man and destroyed more than 10,000 acres, 240 homes and 86 outbuildings.
DNR's lawsuit claims it spent more than $3.4 million to suppress, then scrutinize the cause of the fire. While federal grant money is expected to cover some of that cost, DNR said in October, it requested IPL pay $935,899 to reimburse the state.
"Inland Power refused to reimburse DNR for any portion of such costs," the lawsuit said.
DNR argues IPL "should have been on notice of a potentially dangerous condition" regarding the light pole, as neighbors reported the light flickering in summer 2022, a year before the Gray Fire.
Inland Power's attorney Scott Cifrese didn't respond to KREM 2's request for comment on the litigation; in response to previous lawsuits, IPL has claimed in court documents it is not responsible, calling the fire an "act of God."
The new lawsuit also reveals IPL still has not turned over what DNR believes is a "critical piece of evidence," a five-inch piece of aluminum conductor. DNR said IPL had kept pieces of the light pole for its own expert analysis, agreeing to turn them over to state investigators. However, the conductor piece wasn't submitted to DNR with other pieces of wire.
"Inland Power now says it cannot locate the conductor," DNR's lawsuit said.
Washington's Attorney General's Office is handling the case for DNR; the AG's office and DNR representatives declined to comment on the pending litigation.
Inland Power is also facing several other lawsuits, including from around 60 insurance companies and dozens of fire victims. The lawsuit brought by homeowners is expected to go to trial September 8.