California Says PG&E Power Lines Caused Fire That Killed 85

Source: By Peter Eavis, New York Times • Posted: Thursday, May 16, 2019

PG&E power lines caused the Camp Fire, California fire officials concluded.Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Electrical transmission lines belonging to Pacific Gas & Electric caused the Camp Fire of 2018, California’s deadliest wildfire, a state agency concluded on Wednesday.

The fire, which started on Nov. 8, killed 85 people and destroyed nearly 19,000 homes, businesses and other buildings. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said on Wednesdaythat, after a “very meticulous and thorough investigation,” it had determined that Camp Fire was caused by “electrical transmission lines owned and operated” by PG&E. The company had said in February that it its equipment had probably caused the fire.

PG&E filed for bankruptcy protection in January, saying that it faced an estimated $30 billion in wildfire liabilities.