Feds Investigate Whether PG&E Contract Work Sparked Twain Fire in Plumas County
The U.S. Forest Service is investigating PG&E’s potential involvement in the Twain Fire, which burned about 276 acres of Plumas National Forest in Northern California last week.
On July 13, PG&E filed an incident report with the California Public Utilities Commission, stating that a contractor was performing work on a steel pole for a transmission line near Feather River U.S. Highway 70 and Twain Store Road around noon.
“A short time later, the Twain Fire was reported in the same area,” the filing said.
PG&E said it was aware of the Forest Service’s investigation and is conducting its own investigation.
The fire was first reported on July 11, and, as of July 19, the fire is 95% contained. The Kingsbury Grade Forest Road will remain closed until July 31 according to a Forest Service update, but the Pacific Crest Trail remains open.
Over the past decade, PG&E has been fined billions of dollars for numerous fires sparked by its electrical equipment and filed for bankruptcy over wildfire liabilities in 2019. According to the CPUC, electric utility infrastructure has been responsible for less than 10% of reported wildfires — though these fires make up about half of the “most destructive fires in California history.”
PG&E potentially faces a $22 million fine for the 2022 Mosquito Fire. The CPUC will vote on that settlement on Aug. 13.
PG&E confirmed the details of the incident report and reiterated that there are no reports of injuries or of damaged structures. They did not provide any information about the contractor or the nature of the work.
The Forest Service did not provide a timeline for their investigation.
KQED’s Danielle Venton contributed to this report.