PG&E Facing Manslaughter Trial Over Wildfire That Killed 4
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 1 year ago on
February 2, 2023
FILE - A house burns on Platina Road at the Zogg Fire near Ono, Calif., on Sept. 27, 2020. A judge ruled on Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2023, that Pacific Gas & Electric must face trial for involuntary manslaughter over its role in the 2020 wildfire in Northern California that killed four people. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope, File)

Share

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Pacific Gas & Electric will face trial for manslaughter over its role in a 2020 wildfire in Northern California that killed four people, a judge ruled Wednesday.

The judge in Shasta County ruled after a preliminary hearing that there was enough evidence for the nation’s largest utility to face trial on 11 felony and misdemeanor charges, including involuntary manslaughter and recklessly starting a fire.

Twenty other charges were dismissed.

The company, which is the nation’s largest utility, pleaded not guilty to the charges last June and was scheduled for arraignment on Feb. 15.

The Zogg Fire that began in September 2020 tore through the forested county south of the Oregon border. The blaze burned 88 square miles of land and destroyed more than 200 homes before it was brought under control.

Four people died, including an 8-year-old girl and her mother who were caught by the flames while trying to drive away from their home.

State fire officials said the fire began when a pine tree fell into a PG&E distribution line. The California Public Utilities Commission last year proposed fining PG&E more than $155 million, saying it had failed to take down the tree, one of two that had been marked for removal.

Company executives do not face criminal charges, while the company could be fined and ordered to take corrective measures.

In a statement, PG&E said the loss of life was tragic and while it accepts the conclusion its equipment caused the blaze, “we believe PG&E did not commit any crimes.”

“We continue our work to make it safe and make it right, both by resolving claims from past fires and through our work to make our system safer every day,” the utility said.

PG&E has an estimated 16 million customers in central and Northern California. The company has been blamed for starting some of California’s worst wildfires through neglect of its aging power grid.

PG&E Blamed for 30 Wildfires Since 2017

All told, PG&E has been blamed for more than 30 wildfires since 2017 that wiped out more than 23,000 homes and businesses and killed more than 100 people.

Last year, former executives and directors agreed to pay $117 million to settle a lawsuit over 2017 and 2018 California wildfires, including the 2018 Camp Fire, which killed 85 people and destroyed much of the town of Paradise in Butte County.

The complaint was an offshoot of a $13.5 billion settlement that PG&E reached with wildfire victims while the utility was mired in bankruptcy from January 2019 through June 2020.

PG&E pleaded guilty to 84 felony counts of involuntary manslaughter for causing the Camp Fire and was fined $4 million, the maximum penalty allowed.

Also last year, PG&E agreed to pay more than $55 million to avoid criminal prosecution in a settlement with prosecutors in six counties ravaged by the 2021 Dixie Fire and the 2019 Kincade Fire.

The Dixie Fire burned more than 1,300 homes and other buildings. The blaze was caused by a tree hitting electrical distribution lines west of a dam in the Sierra Nevada.

RELATED TOPICS:

DON'T MISS

The 49ers Have Been Docked a 2025 Fifth-Round Draft Pick for an Accounting Error

DON'T MISS

Ohtani to Begin Throwing Program Soon. Roberts Hints Dodgers Star Might Play in the Field

DON'T MISS

California Isn’t on Track to Meet Its Climate Change Mandates — and a New Analysis Says It’s Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

Aaron Donald Announces His Retirement After a Standout 10-Year Career With the Rams

DON'T MISS

Baseball Superstar Ohtani and His Wife Arrive in South Korea for Dodgers-Padres MLB Opener

DON'T MISS

Terrified Residents of San Francisco’s Tenderloin District Sue for Streets Free of Drugs, Tents

DON'T MISS

16 SWAT Officers Hospitalized After Blast at Training Facility in Southern California

DON'T MISS

Surprise, Surprise! 2024 CA Primary Turnout Wasn’t a Record Low

DON'T MISS

Former President of Honduras Convicted in US of Aiding Drug Traffickers

DON'T MISS

2 California Men Back in Italian Court After Convictions in Officer’s Slaying Thrown Out

No data was found

The 49ers Have Been Docked a 2025 Fifth-Round Draft Pick for an Accounting Error

12 hours ago

Fresno Bank Sued. It Allegedly Helped Bitwise Commit Fraud.

Bitwise /

12 hours ago

How California’s Prized Solution for Methane Gas Is Backfiring on Farmers

Environment /

15 hours ago

Supreme Court Seems Favorable to Biden Administration Over Efforts to Combat Social Media Posts

15 hours ago

Putin Extends Rule in Preordained Russian Election After Harshest Crackdown Since Soviet Era

16 hours ago

Ohtani to Begin Throwing Program Soon. Roberts Hints Dodgers Star Might Play in the Field

16 hours ago

Trump: Some Migrants Are ‘Not People’, There’ll Be a ‘Bloodbath’ if I Lose

16 hours ago

Tech Lawyer and Philanthropist Nicole Shanahan Rumored as RFK Jr.’s VP Pick

News /

16 hours ago

March Madness is Here. UConn, Purdue, Houston and North Carolina Get Top Seeding in NCAA Tournament

17 hours ago

Crafts Retailer Joann Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy as Consumers Cut Back on Pandemic-Era Hobbies

17 hours ago

Records Show That Valley Children’s Leader Suntrapak’s Pay Exceeds $5 Million

â– Valley Children’s paid CEO Todd Suntrapak $5.2 million in 2021. The hospital also gave him a $5 million forgivable home loan. â– The Va...
Healthcare /

11 hours ago

Healthcare /
11 hours ago

Records Show That Valley Children’s Leader Suntrapak’s Pay Exceeds $5 Million

Local Education /
11 hours ago

3 Valley Schools Honored by State as Model Community Day Schools

Local Education /
12 hours ago

Will FUSD Trustees Look First Only at Internal Candidates in Superintendent Search?

12 hours ago

The 49ers Have Been Docked a 2025 Fifth-Round Draft Pick for an Accounting Error

Bitwise /
12 hours ago

Fresno Bank Sued. It Allegedly Helped Bitwise Commit Fraud.

Environment /
15 hours ago

How California’s Prized Solution for Methane Gas Is Backfiring on Farmers

15 hours ago

Supreme Court Seems Favorable to Biden Administration Over Efforts to Combat Social Media Posts

16 hours ago

Putin Extends Rule in Preordained Russian Election After Harshest Crackdown Since Soviet Era

MENU

CONNECT WITH US

Search

Send this to a friend