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PG&E Pleads Guilty to 84 Counts of Manslaughter in Camp Fire

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The site of Paradise Army Surplus on November 13, 2018. The store was destroyed by the Paradise Fire, started by a transmission line from a Pacific Gas & Electric tower. (Anne Wernikoff/KQED)

On Thursday, a Butte County judge imposed a $3.5 million fine on PG&E for causing the 2018 Camp Fire — the deadliest wildfire in California’s history that claimed 84 lives. The ruling came after PG&E CEO Bill Johnson entered 84 individual guilty pleas for those deaths on Tuesday. Dozens spoke during the court proceeding recounting the horrifying deaths of loved ones who perished in the blaze. While PG&E, the state’s largest utility, was held responsible, no executives were charged or face jail time. Critics say the fine and punishment is too lenient given that PG&E has been linked to a number of disasters since 2015. We’ll dive into PG&E’s criminal case and the company’s bankruptcy proceedings.

Guests:

Lily Jamali, co-host and correspondent, KQED's The California Report

Mike Ramsey, district attorney, Butte County

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