A u.s. energy supplier has pleaded guilty in 84 cases of manslaughter under the forest fires in California in 2018.
the Grant is part of a settlement, which the energy supplier Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) has concluded with the prosecutor’s office in Butte County.
the Settlement aims to end all criminal proceedings against PG&E as a result of the so-called Camp Four fire, which killed at least 84 people in and around the small town of Paradise in november 2018.
the Fire destroyed at the same time about 18,000 and is regarded as the most devastating forest fire in California history.
This writes the news agency Reuters.
As a result of a previous agreement entered into between PG&E and the governor of California Gavin Newsom PG&E agreed to pay a fine of not more than 3.5 million u.s. dollars, the 500,000 dollars in court costs and up to 15 million u.s. dollars for the supply of water to residents in the area.
It happens, after the area’s water supply was destroyed in the fire.
PG&E has previously entered into a settlement of 25.5 billion u.s. dollars – about 168 billion – for its role in both Camp Four, as well as a number of other devastating fires in California in 2015 and 2017.
Including the 13.5 billion dollar to the victims and $ 12 billion to insurance companies, counties and other public corporations.
Sparks from the power lines associated PG&E has been blamed for the fire in the Paradise area in northern California, which broke out 8. november 2018 and was baptized Camp Four.
PG&E filed for bankruptcy in January 2019. The justification was that the energy supplier faced claims of more than 30 billion dollar in relation to the fires. This corresponds to almost 198 billion.
Camp Fire killed at least 84 people, including several firefighters, in and around the Paradise, and sent over 50,000 on the run from the flames and smoke.
Due to months of drought and strong winds in the area estimates of the authorities, that the fire spread over an area the size of a football field every second.
It writes the AFP news agency.
In 2017, hit the so-called Tubbs-fire northern California and the city of Santa Rosa. Here, at least 22 people.