California regulators approved a settlement Thursday placing more than half a billion dollars in fines and penalties on the utility Southern California Edison for its role in five wildfires in 2017 and 2018. The penalties relate to the Thomas, Woolsey, Rye, Meyers and Liberty fires. The Thomas fire, which burned in Ventura and Santa Barbara… Continue reading Southern California Edison Faces $550M In Penalties for 5 Wildfires
Tag: california wildfires
PG&E Faces Criminal Charges Over Fatal 2020 Wildfire in California
Prosecutors in Northern California filed criminal charges against Pacific Gas & Electric on Friday in connection with the deaths of four people last year in a wildfire that was linked to the utility’s equipment. The Shasta County district attorney brought the charges — including manslaughter, along with other felonies and misdemeanors — in connection with… Continue reading PG&E Faces Criminal Charges Over Fatal 2020 Wildfire in California
PG&E Blacks Out Some Customers to Reduce California Wildfire Risks
PG&E Corp. said it was cutting off electricity Tuesday to as many as 51,000 customers in heavily forested parts of Northern California to reduce the risk that its power equipment will spark wildfires. The utility company said it began implementing so-called public safety power shut-offs Tuesday at 5 p.m. Pacific Time in small parts of… Continue reading PG&E Blacks Out Some Customers to Reduce California Wildfire Risks
Dixie Fire Is Now Second Largest in California History
The Dixie Fire ravaging Northern California over the weekend has become the state’s second largest on record. Cal Fire, the state firefighting agency, on Sunday reported that the blaze, which has burned for 25 days, had burned more than 463,000 acres. Butte, Lassen, Plumas and Tehama Counties were affected, including the Lassen Volcanic National Park,… Continue reading Dixie Fire Is Now Second Largest in California History
Dixie Fire Wipes Out California Gold Rush Town of Greenville
The largest wildfire in California this year “catastrophically destroyed” the gold rush town of Greenville on Wednesday night, then forced the closure of a national park on Thursday while also chasing residents from their homes across the northern Sierra Nevada region. The Dixie Fire, now the sixth-largest blaze in the state’s modern history, has been… Continue reading Dixie Fire Wipes Out California Gold Rush Town of Greenville
Scorched, Parched and Uninsurable: Climate Change Hits Wine Country
Last September, a wildfire tore through one of Dario Sattui’s Napa Valley wineries, destroying millions of dollars in property and equipment, along with 9,000 cases of wine. November brought a second disaster: Mr. Sattui realized the precious crop of cabernet grapes that survived the fire had been ruined by the smoke. There would be no… Continue reading Scorched, Parched and Uninsurable: Climate Change Hits Wine Country
Texas Storms, California Heat Waves and ‘Vulnerable’ Utilities
In California, wildfires and heat waves in recent years forced utilities to shut off power to millions of homes and businesses. Now, Texas is learning that deadly winter storms and intense cold can do the same. The country’s two largest states have taken very different approaches to managing their energy needs — Texas deregulated aggressively,… Continue reading Texas Storms, California Heat Waves and ‘Vulnerable’ Utilities
Changes Caused by Worsening Wildfires in California Forests Will Last Centuries
The single-engine Cessna was buzzing 1,000 feet above a Northern California burn scar as UC Berkeley scientist Scott Stephens shifted excitedly in his seat and peered out the window for a better view. Down below, heavy machinery kicked up clouds of dust as commercial loggers attempted to salvage whatever timber they could, while a vast… Continue reading Changes Caused by Worsening Wildfires in California Forests Will Last Centuries
SoCal Edison Says It May Have Caused Orange County, CA Wildfire
Power company Southern California Edison told state regulators that its equipment may have ignited one of a pair of fast-moving wildfires in Orange County, Calif., that have prompted evacuation orders for 80,000 people. The Silverado Fire, which broke out early Monday, has consumed more than 11,000 acres of tinder-dry brush in the foothills above Irvine… Continue reading SoCal Edison Says It May Have Caused Orange County, CA Wildfire
IBHS Brings Latest Scientific Research to California Wildfire Insurance Hearing
As the record-setting year of wildfires continues to ravage California, the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) today brought its scientific expertise to Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara’s Homeowners’ Insurance Investigatory Hearing on the risk of wildfire in the state of California. IBHS is committed to developing and advancing solutions to help Californians coexist… Continue reading IBHS Brings Latest Scientific Research to California Wildfire Insurance Hearing