Company: PCG-PB
Filing Date: 2025-04-24
Form Type: 10-Q
Source: 0001004980-25-000087
Chunk: 78

Company: PG&E Corp
Filing Date: 2025-04-24
Form: 10-Q
Item: Part I, Item 8
Chunk 78
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  According to the Cal Fire Investigation Report, the 2021 Dixie fire consumed 963,309 acres and resulted in 1,311 structures destroyed and 94 structures damaged (including 763 residential homes, 12 multi-family homes, 8 commercial residential homes, 148 nonresidential commercial structures, and 466 detached structures), and four first-responder injuries.  The Cal Fire Investigation Report does not attribute a fatality that was previously published in an October 25, 2021 Cal Fire incident report to the 2021 Dixie fire.On January 4, 2022, Cal Fire issued a press release with its determination that the 2021 Dixie fire was caused by a tree contacting electrical distribution lines owned and operated by the Utility.  On June 7, 2022, the Utility received a copy of the Cal Fire Investigation Report, which states that the fire ignited when a tree fell and contacted electrical distribution lines owned and operated by the Utility, and the Cal Fire Investigation Report has been made publicly available.  The Cal Fire Investigation Report alleges that the Utility acted negligently in its response to the initial outage and fault that caused the 2021 Dixie fire.  The Cal Fire Investigation Report also alleges that the subject tree had visible outward signs of damage and decay which would have been noticeable at the ground level, and that a brief visual inspection should have discovered the decay.  Based on the information currently available to the Utility, through its ongoing investigation, including its inspection records, operating and inspection protocols and procedures, implementation of those protocols and procedures, and day-of-event response, the Utility believes its personnel acted reasonably (within the meaning of the applicable prudency standard discussed under “Regulatory Recovery” below) given the information available at the time and followed applicable policies and protocols both before ignition and in the day-of-event response.  While an intervenor in a future cost recovery proceeding may argue the Cal Fire Investigation Report itself creates serious doubt with respect to the reasonableness of the Utility’s conduct, PG&E Corporation and the Utility do not believe the report identifies sufficient facts to shift the burden of proof applicable in a proceeding for cost recovery to the Utility.  (See “Regulatory Recovery” and “Wildfire Fund under AB 1054” below.)  PG&E Corporation and the Utility disagree with many allegations in the Cal Fire Investigation Report and plan to vigorously contest them.  However, if the CPUC or the FERC were to reach conclusions similar to those of the Cal Fire Investigation Report