Lawsuit says rancher, manufacturer caused Oregon wildfire
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A lawsuit says a rancher, workers and the John Deere farm equipment company are at fault for a wildfire that burned parts of an Oregon Native American reservation.
The Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs filed the lawsuit Monday over the origins of the 2017 Nena Springs fire, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported Tuesday.
The tribal group seeks up to $12.25 million in economic damages from lost timber resources on its northern Oregon reservation.
The wildfire burned for more than two weeks and consumed more than 106 square miles (275 square kilometers) and caused hundreds of evacuations.
The Oregon State Fire Marshal concluded the fire was accidental.
The lawsuit makes claims of negligence against Jamie Wisenbaker and Lester Lindell, a contractor who hired Larry Wisenbaker to harvest Jamie Wisenbaker's wheat.
Lindell and Larry Wisenbaker failed to properly inspect the combine harvester or notice a rock that caused a spark was stuck in a chute, while the machine did not have properly adjusted mirrors, the lawsuit said.
Larry Wisenbaker operated the combine without sufficient experience or training, the lawsuit said. He acknowledged driving the combine and that it sparked the wildfire, but said the cause was accidental.
Lindell declined to comment and Jamie Wisenbaker did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
John Deere made faulty equipment and should have designed a machine capable of encountering natural debris “without causing mechanical issues, sparks, or fires,'' the lawsuit said.
The Delaware-based company said it had not received a copy of the lawsuit and was unable to comment on pending litigation.
The tribal group did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
New Nevada Indian Commission director named
CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) — A former public relations officer for the Reno-Sparks Indian Colony has been named the new executive director of the Nevada Indian Commission.
Gov. Steve Sisolak announced the appointment this week of Stacey Montooth.
Montooth is a member of the Walker River Paiute Nation. She replaces longtime director Sherry Rupert, who resigned earlier this year to become director of the American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association.
Sisolak says Montooth has extensive experience in tribal relations in Nevada and a thorough understanding of the issues facing Nevada's 27 tribes. She starts her new job Sept. 1.
