PG&E Pleads Guilty to Involuntary Manslaughter Over Camp Fire Concerns

PG&E announced in March 2020 that it has pleaded guilty to manslaughter charges stemming from the 2018 Camp Fire catastrophe, which completely leveled two towns and damaged a handful of others, while causing 80 deaths.

Details of the Camp Fire Plea

PG&E pleaded guilty to 84 counts of involuntary manslaughter and one count of unlawfully starting a fire as a result of the 2018 Camp Fire.  The company will pay around $4 million on fines, plus, due to the destruction of the Miocene Canal, an unquantified amount to provide access to water for local residents until 2025.  Overall, PG&E has spent over $25 billion in settlements due to the impact of various wildfires that occurred in 2015, 2017 and 2018.

It’s a strange time for the utility emergency preparedness field, that’s for sure.  Years ago, I never would have thought that a utility company would be held liable for disasters of this sort, but things have changed dramatically in the past 5 years. 

Personally, I fluctuate between viewing this as a good thing or a bad thing.  On the one hand, it seems unfair to hold an electric utility responsible for death and destruction in a wildfire-prone region.  I mean, it’s not like PG&E created the Camp Fire or any other fire in the area.   On the other hand, holding utilities accountable should bring positive change in the form of enhanced grid hardening, training, and recovery best practices.

In the final analysis, whether it’s right or wrong, this bitter pill can only lead to positive change going forward.  While it’s unfortunate that PG&E is being held up as a scape goat for the Camp Fire incident, if it leads to changes in the future that reduce death and destruction, it’s probably worth it.