An air tanker flies over PG&E power lines en route to drop fire retardant in the valley below during the firefighting operations to battle the Kincade Fire in Healdsburg, California on 26 October 2019. Photo: Philip Pacheco / AFP / Getty Images
An air tanker flies over PG&E power lines en route to drop fire retardant in the valley below during the firefighting operations to battle the Kincade Fire in Healdsburg, California on 26 October 2019. Photo: Philip Pacheco / AFP / Getty Images

By Jonathan Stempel
23 March 2020

(Reuters) – Pacific Gas & Electric has agreed to plead guilty to 84 involuntary manslaughter counts in connection with the 2018 Camp Fire, the most destructive wildfire in California’s history.

The plea by California’s largest utility was announced on Monday by its parent PG&E Corp, three days after the utility accepted tighter oversight and pledged billions of dollars to improve safety and help wildfire victims, under an agreement California Governor Gavin Newsom.

That agreement ended a major roadblock to PG&E’s planned emergence from Chapter 11 bankruptcy, as Newsom devotes his attention to the coronavirus outbreak in his state.

Pacific Gas & Electric said it entered its plea through a 17 March 2020 agreement with the Butte County District Attorney’s office, which would end all state criminal proceedings against the San Francisco-based company related to the Camp Fire.

The fire began on 8 November 2018, and destroyed much of the town of Paradise, which had about 26,000 people, and nearby Concow. More than 18,000 buildings were destroyed. PG&E also pleaded guilty to one count of unlawfully starting a fire.

“We cannot replace all that the fire destroyed, but our hope is that this plea agreement, along with our rebuilding efforts, will help the community move forward from this tragic incident,” PG&E Chief Executive Bill Johnson said in a statement. [more]

PG&E to plead guilty to 84 involuntary manslaughter counts over 2018 wildfire