US Power Company Charged Over Deadly California Forest Fire

[Right_in_Virginia]

US Power Company Charged Over Deadly California Forest Fire
Newsmax, Sep 24, 2021

A U.S. power company whose cables sparked a devastating California fire that killed four people has been charged with manslaughter, prosecutors said Friday.

More than 56,000 acres (22,000 hectares) were set ablaze when power lines operated by Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) came into contact with a tree in September 2020, igniting what became known as the Zogg Fire.

Prosecutors said the company knew the tree in Shasta County was dangerously close to a powerline and should have removed it three years earlier.

"We have sufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the Pacific Gas and Electric Company is criminally liable for their reckless ignition of the Zogg Fire and the deaths and destruction that it caused," the county's district attorney Stephanie Bridgett said.

"Their failure was reckless and was criminally negligent, and it resulted in the death of four people" including an eight-year-old girl.

The county also levelled charges over three other fires.

PG&E is one of California's biggest power companies, and is responsible for maintaining large swathes of the state's creaking electricity infrastructure.

That includes keeping trees away from powerlines, especially at a time when the region is suffering through a prolonged drought that has left its forests dry and vulnerable to wildfires.


More:  https://www.newsmax.com/amp/newsfront/zogg-fire/2021/09/24/id/1037870/?__twitter_impression=true

[Kamaji]

[DB]

PG&E went green and spent vast resources on "renewable" energy for many years. In the process it diverted resources from maintenance of existing infrastructure. Then add to that the state going "natural" with forest management turning vast areas into tender boxes bad things followed. I tend to believe if you build tender boxes it will burn. PG&E is just a scape goat for bad government policy.

[Hoodat]

Prosecutors said the company knew the tree in Shasta County was dangerously close to a powerline and should have removed it three years earlier.

They probably put in a request with the State of California to cut down some trees, and had their permit denied.

[PeteS in CA]

They probably put in a request with the State of California to cut down some trees, and had their permit denied.

Or are precluded by court order. There are multiple ways DA Stephanie Bridgett could see this case go sideways.