Washington Code 76.04.760 – Civil actions — Forested lands — Fire damage
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(1) The owner of public or private forested lands may bring a civil action in superior court for property damage to public or private forested lands, including real and personal property on those lands, when the damage results from a fire that started on or spread from public or private forested lands.
Terms Used In Washington Code 76.04.760
- Appraisal: A determination of property value.
- Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
- Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
- Equitable: Pertaining to civil suits in "equity" rather than in "law." In English legal history, the courts of "law" could order the payment of damages and could afford no other remedy. See damages. A separate court of "equity" could order someone to do something or to cease to do something. See, e.g., injunction. In American jurisprudence, the federal courts have both legal and equitable power, but the distinction is still an important one. For example, a trial by jury is normally available in "law" cases but not in "equity" cases. Source: U.S. Courts
- Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
- Fair market value: The price at which an asset would change hands in a transaction between a willing, informed buyer and a willing, informed seller.
- owner: means the owner or the person in possession of any public or private forestland. See Washington Code 76.04.005
- person: may be construed to include the United States, this state, or any state or territory, or any public or private corporation or limited liability company, as well as an individual. See Washington Code 1.16.080
- Personal property: All property that is not real property.
- Real property: Land, and all immovable fixtures erected on, growing on, or affixed to the land.
- Suppression: means all activities involved in the containment and control of forest fires, including the patrolling thereof until such fires are extinguished or considered by the department to pose no further threat to life or property. See Washington Code 76.04.005
(2) Liability under this section attaches to the extent that evidence demonstrates that:
(a) An action or inaction by a person relating to the start or spread of the fire from public or private forested lands constituted negligence or a higher degree of fault; and
(b) The action or inaction under (a) of this subsection was a proximate cause of the property damage.
(3) Recoverable damages under this section are limited to:
(a) Either: (i) The difference in the fair market value of the damaged property immediately before and after the fire. For real property, the state-certified general real estate appraiser must identify and analyze all relevant characteristics and uses of the property including cultural, recreational, and environmental characteristics and uses, to the extent such characteristics or uses contribute to the fair market value of the property based on the highest and best use of the property. The state-certified general real estate appraiser shall expressly address the assumptions and conditions used to evaluate such characteristics and uses, consistent with standards of professional appraisal practice adopted under chapter 18.140 RCW; or (ii) the reasonable cost of restoring the damaged property to the general condition it was in immediately before the fire, to the extent permitted by Washington law;
(b) The reasonable expenses incurred to suppress or extinguish the fire unless otherwise provided for in this chapter;
(c) Any other objectively verifiable monetary loss, that is not duplicative of the recovery specified under (a) or (b) of this subsection including, but not limited to: Out-of-pocket expenses; loss of earnings; loss of use of property; or loss of business or employment opportunities; and
(d) In actions brought by an Indian tribe for recovery of damages from injury to archaeological objects, archaeological sites, or historic archaeological resources, damages as measured in accordance with WAC 25-48-043 as it existed on June 12, 2014.
(4) This section provides the exclusive cause of action for property damage to public or private forested lands, including real and personal property on those lands, resulting from a fire that started on or spread from public or private forested lands.
(5) The definitions in this subsection only apply throughout this section relating to the specification of damages for fire damage to public and private forested lands, unless the context clearly requires otherwise, and do not apply to and are not intended as a source for interpretation of other sections of this chapter.
(a) “Fair market value” means the amount that a willing buyer would pay to a willing seller for property in an arms-length transaction if both parties were fully informed about all advantages and disadvantages of the property and neither party is acting under a compulsion to sell, as determined by: (i) For real property, a state-certified general real estate appraiser as defined under RCW 18.140.010; and (ii) for personal property, an appraiser qualified to appraise the property based on training and experience. For real property, the state-certified general real estate appraiser must identify and analyze all relevant characteristics and uses of the property including cultural, recreational, and environmental characteristics and uses, to the extent such characteristics or uses contribute to the fair market value of the property based on the highest and best use of the property. The state-certified general real estate appraiser shall expressly address the assumptions and conditions used to evaluate such characteristics and uses, consistent with standards of professional appraisal practice adopted under chapter 18.140 RCW.
(b) “Forest tree species” means a tree species that is capable of producing logs, fiber, or other wood materials that are suitable for the production of lumber, sheeting, pulp, firewood, or other forest products.
(c) “Owner of public or private forested lands” means any person in actual control of public or private forested lands, whether the control is based either on legal or equitable title, or on any other interest entitling the holder to sell or otherwise dispose of any or all of the timber on the land in any manner.
(d) “Person” includes: An individual; a corporation; a public or private entity or organization; a local, state, or federal government or governmental entity; any business organization, including corporations and partnerships; or a group of two or more individuals acting with a common purpose.
(e) “Public or private forested lands” means any lands used or biologically capable of being used for growing forest tree species regardless of the existing use of the land except when the predominant physical use of the land at the time of the fire is not consistent with the growing, conservation, or preservation of forest tree species. Examples of inconsistent uses include, but are not limited to, buildings, airports, parking lots, mining, solid waste disposal, cropfields, orchards, vineyards, pastures, feedlots, communication sites, and home sites that may include up to ten acres. Public or private forested lands do not include state highways, county roads, railroad rights-of-way, and utility rights-of-way that cross over, under, or through such lands.
[ 2014 c 81 § 1.]
NOTES:
Authority of chapter—2014 c 81: “This act does not: Affect or preclude any action relating to the imposition of criminal or civil penalties as authorized by law; affect or preclude the recovery of fire suppression costs as authorized under chapter 76.04 RCW; affect or preclude an action under RCW 4.24.630 against a person who goes onto the land of another without authorization and wrongfully, intentionally, and unreasonably causes a fire resulting in property damage; affect or preclude an action under chapter 27.44 or 27.53 RCW; or affect the provisions of RCW 76.04.016.” [ 2014 c 81 § 4.]
Application—2014 c 81: “This act applies prospectively only and not retroactively. It applies only to causes of action that arise on or after June 12, 2014.” [ 2014 c 81 § 5.]