California Wildfire News

PG&E Erases Settlements with California Victims as Bankruptcy Looms

As PG&E Corp. prepares to file for bankruptcy, victims of wildfires are getting a preview of how they’re likely to be treated as the utility reorganizes — harshly. Ahead of an expected filing for Chapter 11 protection this week, the …

California Regulators May Break up PG&E Over Safety Concerns

California regulators said they are considering splitting up Pacific Gas & Electric Co. or making other drastic changes amid concerns over the utility’s role in recent gas explosions and wildfires. Among the options under consideration by the California Public Utilities …

PG&E Gives Details on Tower Damage at Heart of California Fire Probe

PG&E Corp. revealed that on the day California’s deadliest and most destructive wildfire started, its workers saw damage and a fire near one of its transmission towers, which are the focus of investigations and a lawsuit as a possible ignition …

Online Sleuthing Skills Help in Wake of California Wildfire

They have become known as the Angels of Paradise. But there is nothing ethereal about them. They are online sleuths who know how to find people, and they have been putting their skills to use in the aftermath of California’s …

Deadly California ‘Firenado’ Explained in New Study

A rare fire tornado that raged during this summer’s deadly Carr Fire in Northern California was created by a combination of scorching weather, erratic winds and an ice-topped cloud that towered miles into the atmosphere, according to a study announced …

California Attorney General Brought into PG&E Wildfire Probe

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra was asked by a federal judge to weigh in on whether reckless operation of power lines by PG&E Corp. in connection with deadly Northern California wildfires would constitute a crime. The request by U.S. District …

California Seizes Small Insurer Merced P&C Due to Wildfire Claims

California regulators moved Friday to take over an insurance company that can’t pay out all claims following a massive wildfire that destroyed more than 13,000 homes. Merced Property & Casualty Company was pushed to insolvency by the fire that sparked …

PG&E Decided Not to Cut Power as Winds Raged Before California Wildfire

In the days before California’s deadliest wildfire erupted near a PG&E Corp. power line during a windstorm, the company kept a close eye on the weather, warned customers it might shut off electricity in the area, and finally decided conditions …

PG&E’s $1.4B in Wildfire Insurance May Not Be Enough, But Was ‘Regular Amount’

PG&E Corp.’s $1.4 billion in wildfire insurance may not be enough to cover all its potential liabilities from the deadliest blaze in California history. But the company wasn’t necessarily skimping on coverage. That level of coverage is a “regular amount” …

Insurance Industry Kept Promises to Hurricane Victims; Now Tested by Wildfires

Between the devastating wildfires in California and the destructive forces of Hurricanes Florence and Michael on the East Coast earlier this fall, the property/casualty insurance market has been put to the test this season. The challenge has been greater for …