Opinion ID: 2826089
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: facts

Text: [¶3] The federal district court’s certification order contains a statement of facts relevant to the questions certified. Although our review and ultimate resolution of the questions do not require application of the facts, we set forth that portion of the order to provide context: (b) Statement of Relevant Facts 1. On June 29, 2012, a wildfire was ignited near Newcastle, Weston County, Wyoming. The fire, referred to as the “Oil Creek Fire,” originated in an area with a concentrated number of nearby State parcels and grew to a point that it could not be contained with the resources of the local Fire District in Weston County. 2. For qualified “emergency fires,” as defined by Wyo. Stat. § 36-1-401(a)(ii), the costs of suppressing the fires are covered by the State of Wyoming through its Emergency 1 These questions do not concern the State’s right to recover damages to its land, timber, or structures. 1 Fire Suppression Account, created by § 36-1-402 and administered by the State Forester under § 36-1-403. As a participating county pursuant to the provisions of § 36-1-404, Weston County requested that the State pay for the costs of suppressing the Oil Creek Fire from the State’s Emergency Fire Suppression Account. The State Forester approved the request. 3. The Oil Creek Fire allegedly consumed more than 61,000 acres, damaging approximately 9,857 acres of lands owned and managed by the State of Wyoming. 4. The State allegedly incurred approximately $5,213,000 in suppression costs for the Oil Creek Fire, which it has paid or will pay from the State’s Emergency Fire Suppression Account. (c) Nature of Controversy On April 12, 2013, a group of private landowners (“Landowners”) filed this action [in Federal Court] against Defendant, Black Hills Power (“BHP”), alleging BHP was negligent in its inspection, operation, and maintenance of a 69kV transmission line, which ignited the Oil Creek Fire and resulted in damages to the Landowners. . . . BHP disputes liability and denies the nature and extent of the Landowners’ alleged damages. On June 3, 2014, the State of Wyoming filed a motion to intervene, which was granted on July 1, 2014. The State’s Complaint was subsequently filed. In its Complaint, the State also alleges BHP was negligent in its inspection, maintenance and operation of the 69kV transmission line. The State seeks recovery for damages to State-owned property as well as for suppression costs associated with the Oil Creek Fire, including both costs incurred in the protection of its own property and through payment obligations to Weston County from the State’s Emergency Fire Suppression Account. The State’s Complaint does not delineate between the amount of fire suppression costs incurred in the protection of State land versus those fire suppression costs incurred in protection of lands owned by other parties. Defendant moved to dismiss the State’s claim for recovery of fire suppression costs arguing, because recovery of such costs by a governmental entity is not recognized at common law, the State cannot make a viable claim for 2 recovery of fire suppression costs in the absence of a specific state statute authorizing recovery. In response, the State argues, even if the “public services doctrine” was recognized in Wyoming, an exception to the doctrine applies where the government incurs expenses to protect its own property.