PG&E’s power lines blamed for wildfire
PG&E transmission lines sparked a wildfire in Sonoma County last year that destroyed hundreds of homes.
Pacific Gas & Electric transmission lines sparked a wildfire in Sonoma County last year that destroyed hundreds of homes and caused nearly 100,000 people to flee, fire officials said Thursday.
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire, said investigators determined that lines northeast of Geyserville were responsible for igniting the Kincade Fire last October that ripped through a wide swath of Sonoma County.
Tinder-dry brush and strong winds combined with warm temperatures and low humidity helped the fire spread at extreme rates, the agency said in a statement.
Cal Fire did not release details of its investigation but said its report had been sent to the county district attorney's office, which will decide whether to file criminal charges.
The fire burned 374 homes and other buildings and injured four people before it was doused two weeks later.
PG&E said Thursday it did not have access to the agency's investigative report or the evidence collected, and that it looked forward to reviewing both. The utility told regulators last year that its lines were the likely cause of the fire.
PG&E is the nation's largest utility and recently emerged from bankruptcy caused by the financial fallout from its role in several devastating wildfires that destroyed more than 27,000 homes and other buildings in 2017 and 2018.
Last month, PG&E took the extraordinary step of pleading guilty to 84 felony counts of involuntary manslaughter for a November 2018 wildfire that largely destroyed the city of Paradise. The inferno, known as the Camp Fire, was the deadliest U.S. wildfire in a century.
A scathing grand jury report released after that fire found that PG&E repeatedly ignored warnings about its failing power lines, performed inadequate inspections to focus on profits and refused to learn from past catastrophes.
PG&E was fined $4 million by a Butte County Superior Court Judge.
The utility has faced furious criticism from lawmakers and fire victims. It also was blasted for efforts to prevent wildfires last year by turning off power in vast portions of its service territory during high-risk fire weather to avoid winds from knocking down lines or blowing tree branches into them.
Thefts increase for catalytic converters
Police have reported six thefts of catalytic converters from cars in the past two months, mirroring a statewide trend.
The most recent theft was reported Sunday, when a woman realized the part was removed from her Toyota Prius after she heard a strange noise as she drove away from her home, said police Capt. Bill Fraass.
Catalytic converters, which are components of vehicle exhaust systems, are targets for thieves because they contain valuable metals for recycling companies. The cost to replace the converter is approximately $3,000.
Residents with information about suspected catalytic converter thefts can call the police department at 415-289-4170.
Marin County Sheriff's Office and the Fairfax, Central Marin and Ross police departments.
More information is online at bit.ly/2DQxbDV.
Vacant seat filled on City Council
The City Council has appointed Sally Wilkinson to the seat vacated by Mordechai Winter.
Winter resigned effective June 30 because of plans to move to Tiburon. His term expires in November 2022.
Wilkinson was the lone applicant for the seat. In her application, she cited experience on several civic committees and her work as an economist.
The council made the appointment at its meeting on Monday.