Railway and logging companies pay $3.03 million in fines for NorCal fires

$3.03 million was paid in settlements from a logging company and a railway company for their part in Northern California fires, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced today.

LRY, LLC dba Lake Railway, has paid $1.08 million to settle allegations by the United States relating to a pair of wildfires that burned 840 acres of national forest land. Lake Railway is a rail line that operates in Northern California.

The settlement represents a 100 percent recovery of the United States’ suppression costs, plus interest and penalties.

The “Gulch Fire” ignited in Modoc National Forest on July 3, 2014. The fire began along railroad tracks near Howard’s Gulch and swept outward—scorching 791 acres of national forest land. The “Howard’s Fire” ignited along neighboring tracks on May 1, 2014; it burned an additional 49 acres. Investigators attributed both fires to sparks from an improperly maintained engine.

CLT Logging, Inc. has paid $1.95 million to settle allegations by the United States relating to a wildfire that scorched 318 acres of national forest land.

The “Dillon Fire” started in Siskiyou County on August 3, 2012. Investigators determined the cause to be a trailer carrying improperly secured logging equipment, which dragged against California Highway 96, throwing sparks that ignited dry grass in 21 separate locations. The fire burned 182 acres in Six Rivers National Forest and 136 acres in Klamath National Forest.

CLT Logging, Inc. is a timber company that conducts operations throughout Northern California. Additional parties to the settlement include Chuck L. Transportation, LLC and Barry Scott Peters.

Today’s settlements do not constitute an admission of liability by the parties.

“As wildfires continue to sweep across California, my office stands committed to protecting our national forests and holding accountable those who endanger them,” U.S. Attorney Talbert said.

“For the first time in its 112-year history, the U.S. Forest Service is spending more than 50 percent of its budget to suppress the nation’s wildfires,” said U.S. Forest Service Pacific Southwest Regional Forester Randy Moore. “Recoveries like this one help to restore these severely burned landscapes to a healthy and resilient condition.”