California Wildfires 2018

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margarita25 said:
“Most of the attention following the wildfire has focused on the search for dozens of people still missing and the possibility that power equipment belonging to the electric utility PG&E may have sparked the fire.”

Survivors of deadly Paradise, California fire say warnings came too late

(I remember posting much on this subject last year (PG&E).)

ETA: Here’s a post from Jerrod:
California Wildfires: 40 Deaths, Hundreds Missing, 5700 Buildings Destroyed


Here’s an article re PG&E from August:
PG&E Reflects on ‘Huge Uncertainty’ Created by California’s Wildfires

Earlier this summer, state investigations found that PG&E lines were the cause of several fires that killed at least 15 people and razed over 5,000 homes last fall. The news caused a further downward spiral in the utility’s stock, which had already dropped 40 percent since the fires. The company reported a $1 billion net loss in Q2.

And anothers, much on the subject re the 2017 fires:

Cal Fire: PG&E equipment caused 12 Northern California fires

PG&E Customers to Foot the Bill for Wine Country Fire Costs, Under Revised Bill

—-

Before and after photos show how wildfire reduced Paradise, California, to ashes
https://www-m.cnn.com/2018/11/13/us/paradise-california-before-after-photos-trnd/index.html?r=https://www.google.com/

—-

Northern California fire death toll rises to 48
https://www-m.cnn.com/2018/11/13/us/california-fires-camp-woolsey-winds/index.html?r=https://www.google.com/&rm=1

“The Camp Fire has claimed 48 lives and 8,800 structures in Northern California, officials said Tuesday.“

Snip

“Butte County Sheriff and Coroner Kory L. Honea told reporters that six people have been arrested for looting and other crimes.“
(Smh)

—-

California's "Camp Fire" death toll jumps to 48 as thousands of firefighters battle blazes

“Some 9,000 firefighters have been battling the wildfires, which have become the deadliest and costliest in state history. Search teams have been using power saws and cadaver dogs to try to locate victims of the "Camp Fire."“

Snip

“An additional 100 National Guard troops were to join teams already looking for human remains.“
Click to expand...

If it can be determined that faulty electrical equipment is to blame can PG&E be held legally liable for damages?
 
gregjrichards said:
If it can be determined that faulty electrical equipment is to blame can PG&E be held legally liable for damages?
Click to expand...
Not likely, IMO. Some kind of negligence would have to be proven. Something well below the norm of what's expected from a power company. Though where there are deaths, lawsuits will follow.
 
Video at link.

Northern California Sheriff Releases List of Missing in Wildfires

Nearly a week after a historic fire ripped through this small town and killed at least 48 residents, hundreds of others are still missing, and the Butte County Sheriff’s Department has begun releasing the names of those they have yet to find.

Most on the list are older than 70; many are in their 90s. Some appear to be married; others appear to be father and son. Among them: Dorothy Larsen, 88, Chuck Piazza, 90, Josephine Hartje, 94, and Calvin Cunningham, 95.

[...]
 
KALI said:
We too have had the infestation of beetles, it is definately a contributing factor.
Click to expand...
Yes! I've seen acres upon acres upon acres of dead and dying evergreens due to the pine bark beetle- not just in CA. but other western states as well. Ideally the dead trees should get cut and cleared out, especially around populated areas, but now what an impossibly-sounding task that would seem to be. Maybe it's done to some degree in some states and locales, but I don't know.
Hundreds and probably thousands of acres with pine bark beetle infestations are in very mountainous, inaccessible areas, too.
 
Satchie said:
Not likely, IMO. Some kind of negligence would have to be proven. Something well below the norm of what's expected from a power company. Though where there are deaths, lawsuits will follow.
Click to expand...

PG&E has deep pockets and is in bed with government so they will just pass on any related costs to the consumers so it's a no win. It's been their MO for years :(

PG&E Faces Lawsuits in Camp Fire Investigation
PG&E Faces Lawsuits in Camp Fire Investigation

Governor signs bill allowing utilities to increase fees to pay for fire settlements
Governor signs bill allowing utilities to increase fees to pay for fire settlements
 
gregjrichards said:
If it can be determined that faulty electrical equipment is to blame can PG&E be held legally liable for damages?
Click to expand...
There will definitely be numerous lawsuit stemming from this. I am not sure how property damage claims go exactly, but if the company was negligent in any way they should be found liable in personal injury and wrongful death cases. Negligence can stem from not meeting their own internal policies. I have sued a utility company before in a wrongful death case where they turned the gas on at a house without thoroughly checking that the vent was open, which their policy clearly stated they must do when turning gas on. Sometimes it is as simple as that. The email suggesting they knew of a problem and considered action seems like it will trigger some liability IMO.
 
Hraefn said:
There will definitely be numerous lawsuit stemming from this. I am not sure how property damage claims go exactly, but if the company was negligent in any way they should be found liable in personal injury and wrongful death cases. Negligence can stem from not meeting their own internal policies. I have sued a utility company before in a wrongful death case where they turned the gas on at a house without thoroughly checking that the vent was open, which their policy clearly stated they must do when turning gas on. Sometimes it is as simple as that. The email suggesting they knew of a problem and considered action seems like it will trigger some liability IMO.
Click to expand...

I’m so sorry you lost a loved one in such tragic circumstances.
 
Worse and worse.
There is a severe housing crisis in California.
Very severe. Add in our winter weather, which will probably surprise most everyone (yes it gets cold and yes we can have snow), My heart aches for these thousands who are finding themselves homeless in a matter of hours.
But, for the grace of God, we too could be one of these thousands.
I sincerely hope our politicians get off their collective asses and pay for thousands of mobile homes to house these people ASAP.
It will cost lots of money.
I am sure that while doing their budgets that they did not factor this disaster into their equasions. BUT, they sure the heck, should have.
This is not a political rant, so do not go there. But, President Trump's claim of California not taking care of it's forestry is 100% true in my opinion.
Very bad timing on his part for this announcement.
But, true, nevertheless in my opinion.
We live in a town much like Paridise. Lot's of animals, horses and two country roads in and out. But our population nearly doubles theirs.
We have already been evacuated 5 times in the last 17 years.
Without getting too much into it, bottom line, we have hanging 60 year old plus electrical wires everywhere.
We have dead trees everywhere.
We have dead brush everywhere.
We Are a tinderbox.
Yet we have All of our money invested here into our restaurant.
At 71 and 65, it is time to get out of here somehow.

pandamonium said:
Camp Fire- 11/15/18 PM update-
141,000 acres
40% contained
9700 residences destroyed
63 fatalities
631 unaccounted for
Click to expand...
 
This looks like a good resource for survivors:

LiveHealth Online: If you are impacted by the Camp Fire, Anthem Blue Cross partnered with LiveHealth Online to help you see a doctor 24/7 for non-emergency conditions through live video from a smartphone, tablet or computer at no cost through November 18, 2018. Doctors can send prescriptions directly to your pharmacy if needed. Sign up at www.livehealthonline.com or download the free LiveHealth Online mobile app and select Help for Wildfires Medical to see a doctor.

source: Butte County > Home
 
KALI said:
Worse and worse.
There is a severe housing crisis in California.
Very severe. Add in our winter weather, which will probably surprise most everyone (yes it gets cold and yes we can have snow), My heart aches for these thousands who are finding themselves homeless in a matter of hours.
But, for the grace of God, we too could be one of these thousands.
I sincerely hope our politicians get off their collective asses and pay for thousands of mobile homes to house these people ASAP.
It will cost lots of money.
I am sure that while doing their budgets that they did not factor this disaster into their equasions. BUT, they sure the heck, should have.
This is not a political rant, so do not go there. But, President Trump's claim of California not taking care of it's forestry is 100% true in my opinion.
Very bad timing on his part for this announcement.
But, true, nevertheless in my opinion.
We live in a town much like Paridise. Lot's of animals, horses and two country roads in and out. But our population nearly doubles theirs.
We have already been evacuated 5 times in the last 17 years.
Without getting too much into it, bottom line, we have hanging 60 year old plus electrical wires everywhere.
We have dead trees everywhere.
We have dead brush everywhere.
We Are a tinderbox.
Yet we have All of our money invested here into our restaurant.
At 71 and 65, it is time to get out of here somehow.
Click to expand...
There might be quite a few FEMA trailers available. At least, I certainly hope so. Quite a few were brought to our county after severe flooding from Hurricane Irene a few years back. Problem is, it can take a while to set them up and then there are sewer/water/electric needs. If that infrastructure remains in place after the fire, though, it would make all the sense in the world to me to set trailers back up on all the lots where they had been, once the electrical lines are repaired.
It seems there were a number of mobile home estates in that area that burned and where so many perished.

When government is very involved in things, that always seems to slow forward progress down and complicate what could be less complicated projects. I realize people who wish to move back to the fire area need to file insurance claims and wait on a myriad of things, but sometimes I wish for a private entity/ies to take the bull by the horns, get something done quickly, and take care of all the bureaucratic crap later, lol. It HAS been done, though :)
 
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