Scouts settle suit over fire for $6.5 million

The U.S. Attorney's Office announced Tuesday it has settled its case against the Boy Scouts of America concerning a wildfire that scorched more than 14,000 acres in the Uintah Mountains in June 2002.

The settlement requires the Scouts to pay $6.5 million, according to information released by the attorney's office. The original federal lawsuit asked the defendants, which originally included The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, for $12 million. The church was dropped as a defendant in February.

A press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office said the stipulation for dismissal was filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court. To go through, it will require a signature from U.S. District Judge Tena Campbell.

A Utah state case — suing the Boy Scouts for the same incident, in which state, federal, and private land was burned — was settled in early March. The Scouts were required to pay $330,000 in cash and plant more than 9,000 trees on the state land that was scorched. The state originally asked for more than $600,000.

The cases were filed following the June 28, 2002, fire that began after a group of teen Scouts left a camp near the East Fork of the Bear Scout Reservation. The boys, all between the ages of 12 and 14, had lighted and been playing with fire despite a ban on fires due to dry conditions.

The young troop had been sponsored by an LDS ward that was part of The Great Salt Lake Council Inc. of the Boy Scouts of America.

The organization has been criticized for leaving the boys without adult supervision and for failing to ensure the fire was completely out before leaving.

The defense has pointed to possible unknown boys who started another fire after the first troop left. Scouts also testified that they had doused the fire with water and urine and had slept near it without feeling any heat or smelling any smoke.

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