In August 2018, a catastrophic wildfire known as the Boyd’s Fire tore through Ferry County in Northeast Washington, forever altering the lives of the families who lived in its path. Ruiz & Smart represented individual property owners and families whose homes, land, and sense of security were placed in immediate danger by a preventable utility-caused fire. Through determined advocacy, we obtained confidential settlements that provided meaningful relief and brought a measure of closure to our clients during an incredibly difficult chapter of their lives.
The Boyd’s Fire ignited when a visibly dead and hazardous ponderosa pine collapsed onto energized overhead power lines owned and maintained by a regional utility. Despite clear warning signs and an established right-of-way that permitted removal of dangerous trees, the utility and its vegetation-management contractors failed to identify and mitigate the risk. Sparks from the downed line ignited dry vegetation, and the fire spread rapidly under hot, windy summer conditions, burning thousands of acres and threatening entire communities.
Our clients included families with deep roots in the area—retirees, working families, and parents of young children—many of whom had only minutes to evacuate. Some fled with nothing more than the clothes they were wearing. Others watched from afar as flames consumed homes, outbuildings, vehicles, forestland, and decades’ worth of personal belongings and memories. Even where structures survived, the fire left behind scorched landscapes, hazardous trees, and ongoing risks that made daily life more difficult and uncertain.
Beyond the physical destruction, the emotional impact was more profound. Clients described the terror of evacuation, the fear for their lives and the lives of their children, and the lasting anxiety that followed. Ordinary experiences—summer heat, the smell of smoke, the sound of sirens—became triggers for renewed distress. For some families, rebuilding took years and required substantial out-of-pocket costs well beyond available insurance coverage. Others were forced to sell property they had hoped to keep for the rest of their lives.
Ruiz & Smart pursued these cases with a clear focus: accountability and fairness. We developed the factual record demonstrating how the fire started, why it was preventable, and how deeply it affected individual families. We worked closely with our clients to tell their stories accurately and respectfully, while navigating complex issues involving utility practices, contractors, insurers, and overlapping claims by public entities.
The cases ultimately resolved through confidential settlements. While the specific terms are not public, the outcomes reflected the seriousness of the harm and the strength of our clients’ claims. Most importantly, the resolutions allowed our clients to move forward—financially supported, heard, and with a sense that responsibility had finally been acknowledged.