Utility Company Agrees to Pay for Damages in Oakland Fire
Pacific Gas and Electric Co. will compensate people who lost houses and other property in a fire started by sparks from the utility’s lines.
Flames from arcing power lines Oct. 13 destroyed three homes, damaged six others and panicked residents of the Oakland hills, where a 1991 fire in the same area killed 25 and destroyed more than 3,400 dwellings.
“We have just gone ahead and taken responsibility . . . so people can go on with their lives,” PG&E; spokesman Shawn Cooper said after the company determined that it was responsible for the latest fire.
The blaze caused at least $1.2 million in structural damage, fire Capt. Don Parker said. Replacing the lost property may take millions of dollars, Cooper said. He did not say whether the utility also would pay for fighting the fire.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
