MEDICAL LAKE, Wash. — Sixty-two insurance companies have filed a lawsuit against Inland Power for losses caused by the Gray Fire in Medical Lake.
Earlier in 2024, Washington’s Department of Natural Resources said sparks from an Inland Power light were what ignited the fire that killed one person and destroyed 240 structures.
The new lawsuit claims Inland Power knew the light was a fire risk and they did nothing to fix it. Court filings say, “Inland Power and Does 1-100 failed to take reasonable precautions to protect the Plaintiffs from the foreseeable risk of harm created by improper installation and maintenance of electrical equipment that is part of its electrical transmission and distribution.”
According to the DNR report released earlier this year, on Aug. 18, 2023, the day the fire started, a person living near where the fire began said she'd called Inland Power multiple times months before to address concerns about the outdoor light. She said she noticed the light flickering and was worried a wire was possibly loose. The person told DNR, to their knowledge, a utility crew did not respond to the concerns.
Court documents also say Inland Power breached its duty and was negligent when it “failed to de-energize its power lines during a Red Flag Warning.”
The insurance companies say the fire resulted in over $4 million in incurred damages.
Inland Power has gone on record denying causing the fire.
In addition to the lawsuit filed by the insurance companies, several Medical Lake residents also filed joint lawsuits against Inland Power for starting the fire.
A status conference is set in the case for January 3, 2025.