CAL FIRE Seeking $90+ Million in Firefighting Costs from Pacific Gas & Electric Company

Friday, April 29, 2016

CAL FIRE Seeking $90+ Million in Firefighting Costs from Pacific Gas & Electric Company

CAL FIRE Blames PG&E for Butte Fire, Seeks $90 Million

A firefighter looks at an automatic teller machine after the Butte Fire destroyed the Golden Spur mini market north of Murphys, California on September 13, 2015, near san Andreas, California. David McNew / Getty Images

Heather Peterson and Ryan Harris

CAL FIRE says they will seek more than $90 million in firefighting costs from Pacific Gas & Electric Company after their findings show PG & E was at fault for the Butte Fire

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection released a report Thursday detailing the cause of that 2015 deadly fire in Calaveras and Amador counties. They say it was sparked by a tree that came into contact with a power line.
CAL FIRE says the state's largest utility or its contractors had removed two gray pine trees from a stand in January 2015, exposing a weaker, skinnier interior tree. The 44-foot-tall gray pine tree grew taller, seeking the sun, but eventually slumped into a power line, according to the report.

CAL FIRE's Daniel Berlant says utilities have a legal responsibility to make sure no trees or plants come into contact with its lines, which can start wildfires like the Butte Fire.

The fire started September 9 and burned for three weeks. It killed two people and destroyed more than 900 structures, including some 550 homes.

CAL FIRE says the amount they are seeking is believed to be the largest recovery amount ever sought by Cal Fire. The fire caused an estimated $300 million in insured losses and is the seventh-most destructive wildfire in state history.

The agency forwarded the results of its investigation to Calaveras and Amador County prosecutors, which could seek criminal charges against the utility.

Calaveras County supervisors also say the county will pursue all legal avenues and plans to seek hundreds of millions of dollars in compensation from PG & E.

“We are shocked and dismayed by the extent of PG& E’s negligence and will actively seek justice for Calaveras County and its citizens,” said Cliff Edson, Chair of the Calaveras County Board of Supervisors. “We will work tirelessly to secure rightful compensation for the County and our residents who are still grieving from the loss of loved ones, their livelihoods, homes, belongings and mementos, and all destroyed and taken from them because of PG&E’s carelessness and negligence.”

“We hold PG& E management and executives responsible for what happened here,” added Edson. “We want to acknowledge the hard work and assistance of PG& E’s excellent field staff for all their efforts and dedication in response and the recovery in Calaveras County. The working men and women of PG& E have made a difference and we thank them.”

Pacific Gas And Electric Company issued a statement in response:

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and the individuals who lost their homes in the Butte fire. We are reviewing CAL FIRE’s report in its entirety. As we’ve said since September 16, we cooperated fully with CAL FIRE in its investigation on the source of the ignition for the Butte fire. We are committed to doing the right thing for our customers and will respond in the normal legal process."

Source: Posted April 28th, 2016 @ 12:03pm by KFBK News - Heather Peterson and Ryan Harris
Read more: http://kfbk.iheart.com/articles/kfbk-news-461777/cal-fire-blames-pge-for-butte-14657086/ixzz479QTaaxU/#ixzz47BzMB6MR

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How fires get their names

Every year in California thousands of wildfires start throughout the state. In most cases, the dispatch center sending the initial resources to a wildland fire will designate a name for the fire, but the first on scene engine or fire official can also name the incident. Fires are usually named for the area in which they start – a geographical location, local landmark, street, lake, mountain, peak, etc. Quickly naming the fire provides responding fire resources with an additional locater, and allows fire officials to track and prioritize incidents by name. For example during the Southern California Fire Siege of 2003, the largest wildland fire in California history, the Cedar Fire in San Diego County, was named after the Cedar Creek Falls area where it started. The destructive Old Fire, which burned during the same time period in San Bernardino County, was named after the road along which it started - Old Waterman Canyon Road.

CAL FIRE is the largest fire department in California and the second largest fire department in the United States. CDF - CAL FIRE Firefighters answer the call more than 300,000 times a year. CAL FIRE Firefighters make up the fire department for 30 of our 58 counties in California and more than 100 local communities. We serve as the incident command during many of California’s most serious disasters. CAL FIRE Firefighters respond to many various types and forms of calls ranging from structural fires, to auto accidents, to earthquakes, to floods, to the spilling of hazardous materials, to every conceivable disaster; CAL FIRE answer's the calls. CAL FIRE is the largest fire department in California and the second largest fire department in the United States . CAL FIRE firefighters protect 33 million acres of State Responsibility Area (SRA). We have over 4,000 members within CAL FIRE and CAL FIRE is associated with the California Professional Firefighters (CPF) and the International Association of Firefighters (IAFF).

CFN - CALIFORNIA FIRE NEWS - CAL FIRE NEWS

Friday, April 29, 2016