Polk County has reached a proposed $200,000 settlement with the estate of Lorretta Pickard, averting a lawsuit.
Pickard died in a Nov. 23 fire in North Lakeland handled by Polk County Fire Rescue. A subsequent internal investigation and another by an independent private consultant found numerous shortcomings in how firefighters handled the fire and with Fire Rescue operations.
The settlement was reached with all of Pickard’s survivors, who are not identified by relationship, according to a copy of the settlement from County Attorney Michael Craig. They are Robin M. Pickard, James A. Pickard, James L. Pickard and Sharon R. Bush.