The red dots on the map represent structures that were destroyed in the Mountain View Fire on Tuesday.
There’s literally no telling how much Liberty Utilities will have to pay out after settling a lawsuit over the damage done in Mono County’s largest and most damaging fire.
That’s because the settlement for the Mountain View Fire is confidential, according to an attorney for the plaintiffs.
The company settled the case in July on the first day of trial after it failed to have the judge in the case disqualified, attorney Alexander Robertson said.
The fire started in high winds on Nov. 17, 2020, near the front of Mountain View Barbecue, after which it was named. The fire claimed 80 structures and 20,000 acres.
At the time, the Sierra Front Interagency Dispatch web site indicated the fire was caused by a downed power line in brush.
According to a brief filed in support of the plaintiffs, an investigation conducted by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection confirmed the cause of the fire was a power line that failed and came in contact with dry grass.
The town of Walker was rendered uninhabitable by the fire due to environmental hazards, lack of power and compromised water supplies. The fire claimed the life of 69-year-old Eastern Sierra poet Sallie Joseph.
There were more than 400 plaintiffs and dozens of insurance companies involved in the lawsuit. Robertson’s firm represented around 80 of the individuals who sued the company.
One of the plaintiffs in the case was Mono County itself.
“Mono County entered into a settlement with Liberty Utilities over claims related to damage to county property, resources, and lost tax revenue for $1.1 million,” said Mono County Assistant County Counsel Emily Fox.
According to a Tahoe Daily Tribune story appearing at the end of October, Liberty is proposing an 18.6 percent increase for winter residential bills and a 22.6 percent increase for summer residential bills at South Lake Tahoe.
According to the case filed, approximately 60 percent of the requested revenue increase is directly related to wildfire insurance cost increases, according to the story.
