SANTA ROSA — Tina Chandler walks outside her home and sniffs the air. "Do you smell smoke?" she asks. Even when the scent is no longer there, it haunts her. So does the fear of the monstrous winds of autumn, the kind that stoked the wildfires that destroyed her northern...
PG&E Expects More Than $6B in Wildfire Costs
SAN FRANCISCO — Pacific Gas & Electric reported substantial losses for the third quarter on Thursday, driven by catastrophic wildfires that have been blamed on the utility's outdated transmission lines. The company anticipates those costs could escalate to as much as $6.3 billion. PG&E filed for bankruptcy in January to...
Not out of Woods yet, but Winds Driving California Fires Die
LOS ANGELES — Calmer weather allowed crews to increase containment on wildfires after a three-week siege of gusts fanned blazes across California and led utilities to cut power to prevent winds from blowing branches into electric lines and igniting an inferno. Winds subsided in virtually all parts of the state,...
More California Fires Erupt, Burning Homes, Sending Residents Fleeing
SIMI VALLEY — Strong winds fanned new Southern California wildfires on Thursday, burning homes and forcing residents to flee their homes in a repeat of the frightening scenario already faced by tens of thousands across the state. The latest blazes erupted in the heavily populated inland region east of Los...
Disabled California Seniors in Complex Left Behind in Outage
NOVATO — One woman in her 80s tripped over another resident who had fallen on the landing in a steep stairwell. Others got disoriented, even in their own apartments, and cried out for help. At least 20 seniors with wheelchairs and walkers were essentially trapped, in the dark, in a...
Crews Battles California Blazes Before Windstorms Return
LOS ANGELES — Crews fought Tuesday to drown, slash and smother wildfires that have incinerated dozens of homes in Northern and Southern California before returning windstorms can blow them back into furious life. In California wine country, firefighters worked to reinforce fire lines in western Sonoma County while rushing to...
California Regulator Sanctions Utility Over Power Outages
SAN FRANCISCO — California's top utility regulator blasted Pacific Gas and Electric on Monday for what she called "failures in execution" during the largest planned power outage in state history to avoid wildfires that she said, "created an unacceptable situation that should never be repeated." The agency ordered a series of corrective...
California Power Outages Ease, First Linked Death Reported
SAN FRANCISCO — The lights were back on Friday for many of the nearly 2 million Northern California residents who lost electricity when Pacific Gas & Electric switched it off this week in an effort to prevent wildfires, as the first death linked to the outages was reported — a...
PG&E Faces Gripes Over Deliberate Blackouts
LOS ANGELES — Even as the winds gusted dangerously as forecast, California's biggest utility faced hostility and second-guessing Thursday for shutting off electricity to millions of people to prevent its equipment from sparking wildfires. Gov. Gavin Newsom criticized Pacific Gas & Electric and ordinary customers complained about the inconveniences caused by the...
1.5 Million Northern Californians in the Dark, Most Now for 2nd Day
SONOMA — More than 1.5 million people in Northern California were in the dark Thursday, most for a second day, after PG&E cut off electricity to more customers to prevent wind-fueled wildfires amid dry weather and strong winds sweeping through the region. Pacific Gas and Electric cut power to more...