KQED-
PG&E, California’s largest utility, said Monday that it is pleading guilty to 85 criminal counts in connection with the 2018 Camp Fire in Butte County that killed 85 people and leveled the town of Paradise.
In a statement, the company announced that it is pleading guilty to 84 counts of involuntary manslaughter and one count of unlawfully starting a fire, and will pay the maximum $4 million in fines and expenses related to the investigation.
Both the Butte County Superior Court and federal court overseeing PG&E’s bankruptcy case must approve the plea agreement. It includes an agreement by the utility to restore access to water for the next five years in relation to a canal destroyed by the fire.
