BILL REQ. #:  Z-0589.1 

Prefiled 12/03/13. Read first time 01/13/14.   Referred to Committee on Agriculture & Natural Resources.

     AN ACT Relating to specifying recovery for fire damages to public or private forested lands; amending RCW 4.24.040 and 4.24.060; adding a new section to chapter 76.04 RCW; and creating new sections.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   A new section is added to chapter 76.04 RCW to read as follows:
     (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.
     (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 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) The lesser of the difference in the fair market value of the damaged property before and immediately after the fire or the reasonable cost of restoring the damaged property to the condition it was in immediately before the fire;
     (b) The reasonable expenses incurred to suppress or extinguish the fire unless otherwise provided for in this chapter; and
     (c) Any other objectively verifiable monetary loss, including but not limited to out-of-pocket expenses, loss of earnings, loss of use of property, and loss of business or employment opportunities, provided such a loss is not duplicative of the recovery specified under (a) or (b) of this subsection.
     (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. This section does not apply to or preclude a cause of 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.
     (5) The definitions in this subsection apply throughout this section unless the context clearly requires otherwise.
     (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 estate, 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.
     (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, road, railroad and utility rights-of-way, airports, parking lots, mining, solid waste disposal, cropfields, orchards, vineyards, pastures, feedlots, communication sites, and home sites that may include up to five acres.

Sec. 2   RCW 4.24.040 and 2009 c 549 s 1001 are each amended to read as follows:
     Except as provided in section 1 of this act, if any person shall for any lawful purpose kindle a fire upon his or her own land, he or she shall do it at such time and in such manner, and shall take such care of it to prevent it from spreading and doing damage to other persons' property, as a prudent and careful person would do, and if he or she fails so to do he or she shall be liable in an action on the case to any person suffering damage thereby to the full amount of such damage.

Sec. 3   RCW 4.24.060 and 2011 c 336 s 93 are each amended to read as follows:
     The common law right to an action for damages done by fires, is not taken away or diminished by RCW 4.24.040, 4.24.050, and 4.24.060((, but it may be pursued; but)). However:
     (1) Any person availing himself or herself of the provisions of RCW 4.24.040, shall be barred of his or her action at common law for the damage so sued for((, and));
     (2) No action shall be brought at common law for kindling fires in the manner described in RCW 4.24.050((; but)). However, if any such fires shall spread and do damage, the person who kindled the ((same)) fire and any person present and concerned in driving ((such)) the lumber, by whose act or neglect ((such)) the fire is suffered to spread and do damage shall be liable in an action on the case for the amount of damages thereby sustained; and
     (3) A civil 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 may be brought only under section 1 of this act.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 4   This act does not affect any action relating to the: Imposition of criminal or civil penalties as authorized by law; or recovery of fire suppression costs as authorized under this chapter.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 5   This act applies prospectively only and not retroactively. It applies only to causes of action that arise on or after the effective date of this section.