SAN FRANCISCO - A multitude of plaintiffs brought civil charges against the Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) for damages sustained in the September 2020 Zogg Fire in Shasta County.
According to the complaint filed on March 24 in the San Francisco County Superior Court, PG&E's exposed power lines sparked dry vegetation caused the 56,000-acre blaze. The plaintiffs are a group of homeowners, renters, business owners or other entities that sustained property damage in the fire.
The entire list of plaintiffs include: Edgar Grubb, Rebeca Bernal, Deborah Bursley, Thomas Oren Campbell, David Ercoline, David Harry Scott Jr., Kris Davis, Suzanne Davis, Craig Wesley Elliott individually and as trustee of the Elliott Family Trust, Adam Elliott, Lisa Elliott, Wesley Elliott, Lisa Ewing, Patricia A. Grubb, Cynthia Hansen, Randy Leon, Miguel Nunez, Lavena Setnor, Paul Sharrow, Kelly Shreeve, Patricia Schreeve and Tiana Robertson.
The pine tree that the power lines touched had allegedly been previously identified as in need of removal by PG&E after the 2018 Carr Fire, but no removal action was taken.
The defendant's negligence to its equipment has ignited multiple wildfires over the years according to the suit, including the Butte Fire, the North Bay Fires, the Camp Fire and the Kincade Fire.
PG&E is charged with inverse condemnation, trespass, nuisance, violation of public utilities code, violation of health and safety code and negligence.
The plaintiffs are represented by Singleton Schreiber McKenzie and Scott LLP of San Diego.