PG&E hit with another lawsuit by Camp Fire victims

Thirty-five families, including a man who lost his home for the second time to a fire allegedly caused by Pacific Gas & Electric Co., sued the utility Thursday for negligently maintaining and operating its equipment, which is presumed to have caused the state's deadliest wildfire.

California's largest utility should have been aware of the risk of wildfire and shut off its power lines, according to the complaint.

"Despite the known danger of fire from high voltage electricity, despite these regulatory mandates to prevent such fires, and despite actual knowledge of the procedures necessary to prevent fire power line fires, PG&E ... [has] repeatedly failed to safely and properly design, construct, maintain and inspect their high voltage power lines and power poles...," wrote plaintiffs' attorney David Casey Jr. of Casey Gerry Schenk Francavilla Blatt & Penfield LLP.

The Camp Fire destroyed nearly 18,000 structures and killed at least 88 people, with dozens missing.

While the cause of the fire is being investigated, PG&E told state regulators that a transmission line near the fire's origin had a problem before the blaze was reported.

The utility was also aware of high-powered lines causing sparks and advised Butte County residents that power may be shut off on the day of the fire because of the risk of wildfire due to weather conditions, according to the complaint.

The power was never shut off.

Plaintiffs alleged inverse condemnation, negligence and trespass, among other claims. Bode et al. v. Pacific Gas & Electric Company et al., 18CV03863 (Butte Super. Ct, filed Nov. 29, 2018).

The complaint, filed in Butte County Superior Court, includes PG&E's negligent oversight of its vegetation management program, which has been heavily criticized for failing to properly maintain and trim trees and brush that come into contact with power lines and ignite fires.

The lawsuit is one of several civil suits to be filed against PG&E by Camp Fire victims.

U.S. District Judge William Alsup ordered PG&E to submit an "accurate and complete" statement of any connection between the cause and reporting of the Camp Fire by Dec. 31 to determine if the company violated its probation in an earlier criminal case.