WEED, Calif. -- Roseburg Forest Products has agreed in principle with four law firms representing the majority of claims to settle the families’ property losses, personal injuries, and wrongful death claims arising from the Sept. 2 Mill Fire.

Pete Hillan, company spokesperson, told WoodworkingNetwork that "The settlement we announced this week [Dec. 13] involves approximately 700 Mill Fire survivors. We continue to work with all survivors and their legal representatives to provide them with the resources they need to complete the recovery and rebuild the Weed and Lake Shastina communities."

Hillan added that the company and lawyers for the remaining claimants are scheduled to hold mediation discussions on Dec. 15.

The four law firms – Reiner Slaughter Mainzer & Frankel; Parkinson Benson Potter; Singleton Schreiber, and Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy – represent more than 700 individuals impacted by the Mill Fire who hold real property and structure damage claims, personal property damage, claims, personal injury claims, bodily injury claims, and wrongful death claims, among other claims.

The Mill Fire sparked near the city of Weed in Siskiyou County, charring 3,935 acres, killing two residents and destroying more than 115 buildings, most of them homes, while damaging dozens more. The cause of the deadly Mill Fire has not been officially determined. But Cal Fire personnel have focused their investigation on a wooden warehouse Roseburg has acknowledged used to store hot ash.

Robert Julian, Roseburg’s lead attorney in the settlements, said the company had a mediation last week with five law firms representing the bulk of roughly 1,000 claimants related to the Mill Fire. Roseburg reached agreements with four of the involved firms, representing more than 700 people affected by the Mill Fire. Julian said another mediation is scheduled to reach settlements with all remaining claimants. 

According to the company, the lawyers intend to recommend the agreed-upon settlement terms to their clients and will await review and approval of the proposed settlements by the clients themselves. The terms of the agreement in principle stipulate that the amount of each family’s settlement if agreed to by the family, will be confidential.

“We know we can’t bring back loved ones nor the homes that were destroyed, but Roseburg’s substantial settlement offers, hopefully, will provide the resources for homeowners to rebuild their houses and the community,” said Pete Hillan, a Roseburg spokesperson.