Two lawsuits filed against Arizona by homeowners whose properties were destroyed by the Yarnell Hill Fire have been dismissed.
A Maricopa County Superior Court judge agreed Wednesday with the state’s argument that it didn’t have a duty to protect the property owners when it undertook management of the wildfire.
Homeowners say they’re disappointed with the ruling and plan to appeal.
The June 2013 fire destroyed 127 homes in Yarnell and two other rural mountain communities 35 miles south of Prescott. Nineteen members of the Granite Mountain Hotshots also died in the wildfire.
The Yavapai County Assessor’s Office has estimated property damage from the 8,400-acre fire at $17 million.
The lawsuits against Arizona and its Forestry Division contend the entities failed to use ground and air resources to suppress the fire.
Topics Lawsuits Catastrophe Natural Disasters Legislation Wildfire
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