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Judge Rules PG&E Will Face Trial for Manslaughter in 2020 California Wildfire

Image courtesy of media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com

Key takeaways:

  • Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) will face trial for manslaughter in Shasta County, California, after a judge ruled Wednesday that there was enough evidence to proceed with 11 felony and misdemeanor charges.
  • The charges stem from a 2020 wildfire in Northern California that killed four people and burned 88 square miles of land, destroying more than 200 homes.
  • PG&E has faced similar charges in the past and the trial for the 2020 wildfire is expected to begin in the coming months.

Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) will face trial for manslaughter in Shasta County, California, after a judge ruled Wednesday that there was enough evidence to proceed with 11 felony and misdemeanor charges. The charges include involuntary manslaughter and recklessly starting a fire.

The charges stem from a 2020 wildfire in Northern California that killed four people and burned 88 square miles of land, destroying more than 200 homes. PG&E pleaded not guilty to the charges last June and was scheduled for arraignment on Feb. 15.

The judge’s ruling comes after a preliminary hearing in which prosecutors argued that PG&E’s equipment sparked the fire. The utility company has been accused of failing to maintain its power lines and failing to properly inspect and clear vegetation near its equipment.

PG&E has faced similar charges in the past. In 2019, the company was found guilty of 84 counts of involuntary manslaughter for its role in a 2018 wildfire that killed 86 people and destroyed thousands of homes.

The trial for the 2020 wildfire is expected to begin in the coming months. PG&E has not yet commented on the judge’s ruling.

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