LOS ANGELES – A United States power company whose cables sparked a devastating California fire that killed four people has been charged with manslaughter, said prosecutors yesterday.
More than 22,000ha of land was set ablaze when power lines operated by Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) came into contact with a tree in September last year, igniting what became known as the Zogg Fire.
Prosecutors said the firm knew that the tree in Shasta county was dangerously close to a power line, and should have removed it three years earlier.
“We have sufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that PG&E is criminally liable for their reckless ignition of the Zogg Fire, and the deaths and destruction that it caused,” said the county’s district attorney Stephanie Bridgett.
“Their failure was reckless and criminally negligent, and it resulted in the death of four people”, including an 8-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 power lines, especially at a time when the region is suffering a prolonged drought that has left its forests dry and vulnerable to wildfires.
The company yesterday denied that it is criminally culpable for the blaze.
“We’ve accepted (fire authorities’) determination, reached earlier this year, that a tree contacted our electric line and started the Zogg Fire. But we did not commit a crime,” said chief executive Patti Poppe.
“We’ve already resolved many victim claims arising from the Zogg Fire... and we are working hard to resolve the remaining claims.”
PG&E was found guilty of causing the Camp Fire in 2018, the deadliest blaze in recent California history.
That fire virtually wiped the small town of Paradise off the map and killed 86 people.
This year, the company said it will bury 16,000km of power lines in an effort to keep them away from vegetation.
The western US is suffering through yet another terrible wildfire season.
Scientists said human-caused global warming is making the region hotter, drier and more vulnerable to blazes. – AFP, September 25, 2021
