Judge demands PG&E discuss role in Camp Fire

SACRAMENTO — A federal judge overseeing Pacific Gas & Electric’s criminal probation from the deadly San Bruno pipeline explosion is demanding answers from the utility about its potential role in the Camp fire or other major wildfires.

In a written order, U.S. District Judge William Alsup in San Francisco told PG&E to explain whether “reckless operation or maintenance of PG&E power lines” started a wildfire — and whether that might constitute a violation of the terms of the utility’s probation.

PG&E was found guilty in federal court of obstruction of justice and other charges in connection with the 2010 San Bruno disaster, which killed eight people and injured 58 others. At sentencing in January 2017, the utility was placed on five years’ probation, fined $3 million and ordered to perform thousands of hours of community service.

The probation sentence included a prohibition against committing further crimes.

Aside from the criminal case, the San Bruno catastrophe was a major crisis for PG&E. The utility was fined $1.6 billion by regulators and paid out hundreds of millions of dollars in civil settlements.

Alsup told the utility to provide “an accurate and complete statement of the role, if any, of PG&E in causing and reporting the recent Camp fire in Butte County and all other wildfires in California” since PG&E was placed on probation.

PG&E has disclosed to regulators that a transmission line, located near the spot where the Camp fire ignited, experienced a problem a few minutes before the fire was reported early Nov. 8. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire, continues to investigate the cause of the blaze, which has killed at least 88 people and has become the deadliest wildfire in the state’s history.

The utility’s disclosure about the power line, along with a statement to investors that damage claims might overwhelm PG&E’s liability insurance coverage, has sent the company’s stock price tumbling by almost half.