Burned-out homes and vehicles stand in Paradise, California, Nov. 26, 2018. The nation’s deadliest wildfire in a century known as the Camp Fire that killed 84 people and burned over 14,000 homes was fully contained after burning for more than two weeks, authorities said. Photographer: David Paul Morris
Pacific Gas and Electric Co. on Monday announced that it has agreed to plead guilty to an 85-count criminal indictment to settle all state charges related to the 2018 Camp Fire, which killed 84 people and destroyed the town of Paradise in the Sierra Nevada foothills of Butte County.
The company said in public filings made in its bankruptcy case and with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that it had reached an agreement with the Butte County district attorney to plead guilty to 84 counts of involuntary manslaughter and one count of unlawfully starting a fire stemming from the 2018 Camp Fire. The company agreed to pay the maximum fines of about $4 million and to fund efforts to restore access to water over the next five years for residents affected by the loss of a canal destroyed by the fire.
