California utility faces lawsuit over northern wildfires
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E-mail Xinhua, November 16, 2018
SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 15 (Xinhua) -- A group of attorneys representing a victim of deadly northern California wildfires on Thursday filed a lawsuit against leading California utility Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) for its poor management of electrical infrastructure that sparked the massive blaze.
The attorneys from two law firms, Baron & Budd and Dixon Diab & Chambers LLP, who are collectively known as Wildfire Recovery Attorneys and brought the law suit in San Francisco county on behalf of a resident in Paradise town, northern California, whose home was devastated in the raging wildfires.
The attorneys blamed PG&E for failing to take good care of its electrical infrastructure, which failed and caused a spark that ignited the massive blaze.
"As a result of this alleged wrongdoing, the fire has, to date, claimed the lives of more than 56 people, destroyed more than 8,000 structures and burned approximately 135,000 acres (about 546.3 square km)," said the attorneys.
The blaze, Camp Fire, began on Nov. 8 and destroyed a significant portion of Paradise, which boasts a prominent history and innate beauty. Around 25 percent of its 27,000 residents aged 65 or older.
Camp Fire is recorded as the deadliest and most destructive one in the modern history of the western U.S. state of California.
"It is 100 percent the responsibility of utility providers, such as PG&E, to properly maintain their wires and electrical infrastructure," said Baron & Budd Shareholder, John Fiske.
"We believe that these fires were caused by PG&E's repeated failures to keep their service delivery safe and we intend to hold them accountable for the devastation they have created," Fiske added.
On Tuesday, a coalition of law firms also sued PG&E for being negligent in failing to properly manage its infrastructure including power transmission lines, which ultimately led to Camp Fire.
PG&E said on Wednesday it had sent about 900 workers to help fight Camp Fire and its CEO Geisha Williams was in the area to assess the damage first hand.
The company said it has since Monday restored electric power to approximately 2,200 customers affected in the wildfire disaster. Enditem
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