Zack and his team assessed potential liability exposures arising from wildfires for a regulated public utility in California due to the client’s hypothetical negligence or the client being held responsible for losses because of California’s inverse condemnation liability regime. 

The assessment incorporated identification of potential sources of wildfire risk, identification of potential routes of propagation of fire based on weather/wind, analysis of surrounding land characteristics (vegetation, urban, etc.), and natural fire breaks (highways, rivers, etc.). 

The team also developed models to predict the impacts on structures near wildland-urban interface (residential, commercial, etc.) and the ranges of potential liabilities arising from modeled impacts. The analysis considered damages including property losses, lost business income, wrongful death or personal injury claims, as well as suppression and remediation costs. 

Ultimately, the report summarizing its analysis was submitted to the California Public Utilities Commission.

Note: This work was performed prior to joining Stout.