The Largest utility in California has been taken to court for involuntary manslaughter and other crimes due to the deaths of four people caused by Northern California wildfire in 2021.
Zogg Fire casualties
On Friday, prosecutors publicized they had filed a 31-count complaint claiming Pacific Gas and Electric Co. are to be held accountable for 20 misdemeanors and 11 felonies linked to the Zogg Fire and other wildfires, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
Earlier on, investigators had discovered that the Zogg Fire began when a tree collapsed on a PG&E power line.
On Friday, Stephanie Bridgett, Shasta County District Attorney said that PG&E should have taken away the pine tree. As per Bridgett, the people who lost their lives in the Zogg fire, ranging from age 8 to 79, died when they were running from the fire,
Since the utility was not able to do this, it failed to carry out its legal responsibility and its "failure was reckless and criminally negligent, and it resulted in the death of four people," she said.
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Impact of Zogg Fire
In a statement and footage replying to the charges, Patti Poppe who is the CEO of PG&E said, "We've accepted CAL FIRE's determination, reached earlier this year, that a tree contacted our electric line and started the Zogg Fire. We accept that conclusion. But we did not commit a crime."
Two tree surgeons adhered to rules and determined the tree been talked about could stay, She said.
She said this was an unfortunate incident and it claimed the lives of four people. She said her team is putting a lot of effort to prevent fires and the disastrous losses accompanying them. They have devoted their careers to it, illegalizing their judgment isn't the right thing. Not being able to prevent this flame is not a crime.
The latest legal action against PG&E is Friday's charges, which they admitted to the crime in 2020 to 84 counts of involuntary manslaughter in the 2018 Camp Fire that almost ruined the town of Paradise, California.
The Penalty
In 2019, the company filed for bankruptcy and accepted to pay over $25 billion in damages which the Camp Fire and other blazes caused.
If PG&E is declared guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the most recent case, the penalty would be payment of fine for each person that lost their lives, as per the Associated Press.
Bridgett said it is impossible for a corporation to go to jail, so they are talking fines, fees, the court's ability to order remedial and corrective measures.
She added: "One of our primary functions here is to hold them responsible and let the surviving families know that their loved one did not die in vain."
As per PG&E website, it provides natural gas and electric service to around 16 million Northern and Central California residents. PG&E is situated in San Francisco and is one of the nation's largest joint natural gas and electric energy companies.
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