Burned Couple Settles California Wildfire Suit for $6M

A badly burned Santa Barbara, Calif., couple has settled their wildfire lawsuit against a property owner for $6 million.

Lance and Carla Hoffman were overtaken by flames and nearly killed in the November 2008 Tea Fire, which was started when partying college students left a campfire unattended in the Montecito hills above their rented home.

The wildfire destroyed more than 200 homes.

The Santa Barbara News-Press says the couple’s lawsuit claimed Mary K. Robinson and the trust in her name took no steps to prevent trespassing on the property.

Their lawyer David Nye says the Hoffmans have undergone dozens of surgeries and medical bills have reached nearly $5 million.

Attorneys for the owner and the insurer accepted the Hoffmans’ settlement demand on April 19 and agreed to pay in full.