250 head to court over deadly Northern California wildfire

It didn’t take long for those who lost their homes in the California wildfires to head to court, filing suit against Pacific Gas and Electric Company, blaming it for the deadly fires.

At least 250 persons signed onto the lawsuit filed in San Francisco Superior Court claiming the Camp Fire, as it was called, started when electrical infrastructure owned, operated and maintained by PGE failed, causing a spark that ignited the blaze.

The suit also contends PGE was aware of the risk associated with the high-voltage power line and planned to de-energize the power lines as a precaution against fires in Butte County before the fire started but canceled the plans.

The fire left at least 85 persons dead, burned more than 150,000 acres and destroyed 18,000 structures.  It wiped out the town of Paradise in Northern California and caused an estimated $12 billion in damages.