12 Trial Lawyer • Spring 2023 Clinton Tapper By Clinton Tapper OTLA Guardian On Labor Day weekend, 2020, a combination of high temperatures, low rainfall, strong winds, human activity and thunderstorms caused 21 named fires throughout the state. Together these fires destroyed 1.1 million acres of Oregon forests, put 500,000 Oregonians on warning for evacuation, forced the actual evacuation of 40,000 Oregonians, burned over 4,000 structures and killed 11 people. The cities of Phoenix, Talent, Detroit and Gates were effectively destroyed by the Almeda and Santiam Fires. While 2020 was a historic year for wildfire, all indications are it was the new normal for our region. Due to climate change, predictive models anticipate Oregon will continue to experience warmer temperatures, lower snowfall and hotter summers. These conditions combined make it a matter of when, not if, Oregon will suffer another similar fire season. Our response In the aftermath of the fires, OTLA sprang into action with an immediate call for volunteers from our membership. And the OTLA family answered the call. Leading the charge was OTLA member and Volunteer of the Year 2021 Marc Johnston, whose family was evacuated due to fires in Clackamas County. He had a vision of how our organization could help those in need by tapping into our best resource — you — lawyers and their staffs who know the ins and outs of dealing with insurance companies. With Johnston at the helm and with help from President Lara Johnson, OTLA organized a CLE dealing specifically with fire issues for those volunteers willing to go out into the affected communities and provide free advice. I joined other members who specialize in property damage cases asked to lead the CLE on how to help victims navigate their claims. Thanks to Bob Bonaparte, Doug Bragg, Tonna Faxon, Michael Knapp, Fred Millard, Nick Thede and Kyle Sturm for sharing their knowledge and expertise. Regional leaders were assigned: Chris Cauble, Lara Johnson, Marc Johnston, Faith Morse, Travis Prestwich, David Rosen and Adam Springer. These leaders organized panels of volunteers throughout the state to go to the affected areas and run free legal clinics for the wildfire victims. OTLA volunteers also took shifts answering calls on an 800 line set up by OTLA to assist folks affected by the wildfires. Thanks to all OTLA members who stepped up and helped in this effort. Now, all these months later, it seems like a good time to check on a few of the claims coming from the OTLA program. Sara — CAT adjusters In 2020, Sara was evacuated almost immediately after the Holiday Farm fire started. She and the other residents of her mobile home park located on the outskirts of Blue River, were among the first to receive the notice to evacuate. Sara gathered up her pets and a few treasured belongings and sought shelter in Eugene. When she returned home, she was overjoyed to find although the fire had come within a few hundred yards of her property, her home was spared from the fire. While not destroyed, her home did suffer damage. The fire caused acrid smoke to permeate her belongings and embers fell on her roof, causing significant damage. After calling her insurance company, Sara was put in touch with an adjuster who viewed her property and offered her a few hundred dollars to clean up her loss. When Sara tried to discuss the damage with the adjuster, the adjuster was difficult to reach. When she finally could talk to him, the adjuster told WILDFIRE Fire Insurance Denial Claims
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