Court battles continue, four-and-a-half years since a fire charred 81-hundred acres and destroyed 100 buildings in Bayfield and Douglas counties. The state appeals court in Wausau recently ruled that a two-million dollar insurance policy would kick in if Ray Duerr Logging of Rib Lake is found liable — but the insurer, Secura Mutual, did not have to cover damages to standing timber as part of Duerr’s umbrella policy. The case now goes back to Douglas County Circuit Judge Kelly Thimm, who will also decide whether the umbrella policy covers a charred area that was not timberland. The wildfire lasted for three days in 2013, the state’s largest forest fire in 33 years with 22 primary homes destroyed. The state D-N-R ruled out faulty equipment as a cause, and it found no negligence or justification for criminal charges.
