The Northern California county where a deadly wildfire killed 86 people last year sued Pacific Gas & Electric Co. on Tuesday, a day after the utility announced it will file for bankruptcy.
Butte County’s lawsuit blames the utility for the wildfire that sparked Nov. 8 and “effectively eradicated” the city of Paradise, California, population 27,000. The blaze destroyed nearly 15,000 homes and is the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in California history.
People who lost their homes in the wildfire have already sued PG&E. The utility’s bankruptcy filing means all wildfire-related lawsuits will be consolidated and go before a bankruptcy judge, not a jury. Butte County counsel Bruce Alpert said the pending lawsuits likely would have been consolidated anyway.
Bankruptcy proceedings could result in wildfire victims not getting everything they are owed, experts say.
The county filed Tuesday to “demonstrate to the public that we’re moving forward after this horrendous occurrence in Butte County,” Alpert said. “We’re seeking the make the taxpayers of Butte County whole with respect to all of the costs and damages.”