An electrical crew works on restoring power to a residence damaged by wildfires on Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2017, in Glen Ellen, Calif. California fire officials have reported significant progress on containing wildfires that have ravaged parts of Northern California. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)
More than a dozen North Bay fire victims are filing seven new lawsuits against PG&E in Sonoma, Napa and San Francisco County courts. The lawsuits filed yesterday accuse the company of negligence by failing to trim trees and vegetation around power lines, and not maintaining aging equipment that contributed to the deadly wildfires. In response to previous suits from the fire, PG&E said that a private power line may have sparked the fire that killed over 20 people and destroyed nearly four-thousand-500 homes in Sonoma County. The state Department of Forestry and Fire Prevention has not determined the cause of the fires yet, but said electrical equipment is one potential source. PG&E responded to news of the filings in a statement saying “Nothing is more important to us than the safety and well-being of our customers and communities we serve. Our thoughts are with everyone impacted by these devastating wildfires. We are aware that lawsuits have been filed. There has been no determination on the causes of the fires. We’re focused on doing everything we can to help these communities in Sonoma County rebuild and recover.”