Pacific Gas & Electric will plead guilty to 84 counts of involuntary manslaughter and one count of unlawfully starting a fire in connection to the “Camp Fire” in Northern California that killed 84 people.
“Our equipment started the fire,” PG&E CEO and President Bill Johnson said in a statement. “Those are the facts, and with this plea agreement we accept responsibility for our role in the fire.”
The November 2018 fire that decimated the towns of Paradise and Concow and damaged Magalia destroying more than 13,900 homes was caused by sparks from a PG&E transmission line that failed, state investigators determined.
In an agreement with the Butte County District Attorney’s office, PG&E will pay the maximum fine of about $4 million. The company will also fund efforts to restore access to water for the next five years for residents impacted by the loss of a canal destroyed by the fire.
The company was expected to plead guilty in court this week, but because of the coronavirus pandemic, the Butte County Superior Court is closed.
Pacific Gas & Electric will plead guilty to 84 counts of involuntary manslaughter and one count of unlawfully starting a fire in connection to the “Camp Fire” in Northern California that killed 84 people.
“Our equipment started the fire,” PG&E CEO and President Bill Johnson said in a statement. “Those are the facts, and with this plea agreement we accept responsibility for our role in the fire.”
The November 2018 fire that decimated the towns of Paradise and Concow and damaged Magalia destroying more than 13,900 homes was caused by sparks from a PG&E transmission line that failed, state investigators determined.
In an agreement with the Butte County District Attorney’s office, PG&E will pay the maximum fine of about $4 million. The company will also fund efforts to restore access to water for the next five years for residents impacted by the loss of a canal destroyed by the fire.
The company was expected to plead guilty in court this week, but because of the coronavirus pandemic, the Butte County Superior Court is closed.
