Butte County DA, PG&E reach $1.5M settlement in October 2017 wildfires

OROVILLE — The Butte County District Attorney’s Office and PG&E reached a $1.5 million settlement agreement in connection with three destructive wildfires sparked in October 2017, it was announced Friday.

The settlement, according to a news release issued by District Attorney Mike Ramsey and PG&E, requires the utility to fund for at least four years a new program in Butte County aimed at keeping vegetation away from power lines and reducing the rise of wildfires.

The program, named the Enhanced Fire Prevention and Communications Program, will be run and administered by the Butte County Fire Department and paid for by PG&E in the amount of $1.5 million, according to the release.

The settlement will fund the salaries of four defensible space inspectors who will be dedicated to inspect power lines, the purchase of several vehicles, including an all-terrain vehicle and trailer, and the purchase of laptops, field tablets and cellphones.

The settlement agreement stemmed from three Butte County fires in October 2017 that Cal Fire investigators determined were caused by vegetation coming into contact with the utility’s distribution lines, according to the release.

Two of the fires, including the LaPorte Fire that sparked Oct. 9, 2017, and the Cherokee Fire that sparked Oct. 8, 2017, were started during an “extreme wind event” that unexpectedly blew branches onto PG&E lines, according to the release. Investigators, however, did not allege any criminal liability in the fires because vegetation in the area was properly trimmed back.

The LaPorte Fire, which burned about 6,000 acres, ripped through the community of Bangor and destroyed more than 30 homes and additional commercial building and structures. The Cherokee Fire burned about 8,500 acres north of Oroville, claiming several homes and outbuildings.

The third fire, the Honey Fire, which started about 3 p.m. Oct. 9, 2017, on Honey Run Road in Butte Creek Canyon, burned about 150 acres and threatened the town of Paradise before it was finally contained. No structures were damage in the fire.

Cal Fire investigators ruled that the cause of the Honey Fire was a tree branch that came into contact with a PG&E transmission line. Investigators in May forwarded their reports for a possible misdemeanor prosecution against the utility based on an alleged failure to properly trim the branch away from its power lines.

The District Attorney’s Office and PG&E subsequently began negotiations in the summer, leading to the $1.5 million settlement and inspection program, according to the news release. Officials noted a possible criminal punishment had a maximum fine of $1,000.

“Although the settlement agreement specifically and explicitly does not constitute any admission of wrongdoing on the part of PG&E, the agreement does specifically prohibit PG&E from recovering any of the costs of the program from its customers in the form of rate increases,” according to the release.

Ramsey said in the news release that his office’s goal was to increase safety for Butte County residents.

“Rather than seek a minimal criminal fine we sought a settlement similar to one in 1998 which substantially reduced electrical-line-caused wildland fires at the beginning of this century,” he said.

Sumeet Singh, vice president of PG&E’s Community Wildfire Safety Program, said in the release that years of drought, extreme heat and more than 100 million dead trees “require that we continuously adapt to keep our communities safe. We appreciate the partnership with the Butte County Fire Department to complete this important safety work.”

Let's block ads! (Why?)