RENO, Nev. (AP) — A jury in Reno has found the Nevada Division of Forestry liable for the loss of 23 homes and 17 other buildings in a 2016 wildfire after strong winds re-ignited a prescribed burn.
The verdict Friday sets the stage for future court proceedings to determine what damages are owed property owners who sued the state, but it's not immediately known whether the state will appeal.
Jurors heard two weeks of testimony about circumstances of the fire in the Washoe Valley that followed a prescribed burn on land owned by the University of Nevada, Reno.
The plaintiffs said the division was negligent before winds a week later the burn re-ignited the fire.
The defense argued that the fire was an unfortunate accident and that firefighters did everything right during the burn.