A state judge has ruled that a California utility giant must go on trial for manslaughter for its involvement in a 2020 wildfire that claimed the lives of four people.
It is the most recent legal issue for Pacific Gas & Electric, which has recently been held accountable for a slew of disastrous wildfires in the state.
During a preliminary hearing, the judge determined that the prosecution had provided sufficient evidence for the company to be tried.
The largest power company in the state, PG&E, has pleaded not guilty.
On February 15, the company is slated to appear at a hearing when the judge is anticipated to set a trial date.
The charges include involuntary manslaughter and recklessly starting a fire. Twenty other charges were dismissed on Thursday February 2.
The Zogg fire started in September 2020 in northern California and burned 88 sq miles (228 sq km) of land and more than 200 homes before it was eventually contained.
Eight-year-old daughter and her mother were among those killed as they attempted to leave their home in a car.
According to an investigation, it started when a pine tree fell into PG&E electrical cables. The utility giant admitted to the BBC that their equipment had started the fire, but it denied criminal wrongdoing.
“We believe PG&E did not commit any crimes,” it said. “We continue our work to make it safe and make it right, both by resolving claims from past fires and through our work to make our system safer every day.”
After several fires in California, notably the 2018 Camp Fire that claimed 84 lives, were started by PG&E’s defective equipment, the company declared bankruptcy in 2019.
With the victims of that blaze and several others, the business negotiated a $13.5 billion (£11 billion) settlement in 2015, 2016 and 2017.
Author-Roberta Appiah
