On Nov. 8, Pacific Gas & Electric equipment sparked a highway fire that scorched almost 85 acres of grass where Highway 166 and Twitchell Dam Road meet. A spliced connector on a conductor sparked, and wind was a factor, but no cost has been calculated, according to a release from CAL FIRE.
Calls began coming in to CAL FIRE around 7 a.m. The fire was contained by approximately 11:30 a.m. and controlled at
6 p.m., fire officials said in the release.
In an article printed last month, the Sun reported PG&E officials said their company has been strained financially ever since they were ordered to pay $14.75 million from a fire in 1999. Now, along with other energy companies, PG&E has asked the California Public Utilities Commission for permission to raise rates on their customers in order to self-insure for the cost of wildfires for which they are responsible.
In an e-mail to the Sun, Public Utilities Commission spokesman Andrew Kotch said the administrative law judge has not set any timetable for future hearings on the matter.
This article appears in Nov 12-19, 2009.