Feds seize PG&E equipment as part of investigation into Mosquito Fire

STRUCTURES AND DAMAGED 13 OTHERS. THERE ARE A LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT CAUSED THE MOSQUITO FIRE. INVESTIGATORS SAY THAT THEY’VE TAKEN A PIG TRANSMISSION POLE INTO FOR EVIDENCE AFTER LEARNING THAT THE FIRE HAPPENED NEAR THE UTILITIES POWER LINE. KCRA 3’S ORKO MANNA SPENT THE DAY IN FORESTHILL. HE HAS THE LATEST ON THE INVESTIGATION AND REACTION FROM RESIDENTS BACK HERE IS WHERE THEY BULLDOZE TO THAT NIGHT. IT WAS REALLY EARLY IN THE MORNING. KIM POISE WALKS US THROUGH HER BACKYARD IN FORESTHILL. SHE SAYS FIRE CREWS JUMPED INTO ACTION TO SAVE HER HOME FROM THE MOSQUITO FIRE. THEY WERE JUST TRYING TO PROTECT EVERYTHING THEY COULD. YOU CAN STILL SEE ALL THE BURNED TREES FROM THE MOSQUITO FIRE. THE FLAMES COMING UP. THIS HILL CHARRING THE GROUND AND GETTING REALLY CLOSE TO HER HOME. THE FIRE WAS BURNING SO HOT AND SO HIGH THAT I, I DON’T EVEN KNOW HOW THEY SAVED THE HOUSES. ANY OF THE HOUSES. BUT THEY DID. SO EMOTION. NO. AND IT’S IT’S IT’S AMAZING WHAT THEY DID TO SAVE THE TOWN. BUT AS FOR SALE, RESIDENTS RETURN HOME. THERE ARE QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW THE MOSQUITO FIRE STARTED. THE UNITED STATES FOREST SERVICE IS LOOKING INTO THE CAUSE AND IS CURRENTLY CONDUCTING A CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION. KCRA 3 FOUND A REGULATORY FILING PUBLISHED MONDAY MORNING WITH THE U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION THAT SAID ON SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 24TH, THE USFS REMOVED AND TOOK POSSESSION OF ONE OF THE UTILITY’S TRANSMISSION POLES AND ATTACHED EQUIPMENT. THIS COMES AFTER AN INITIAL ASSESSMENT SHOW THAT THE MOSQUITO FIRE STARTED AT THE OXBOW RESERVOIR NEAR A PPG AND POWER LINE. SOME RESIDENTS, LIKE POISON, ARE WAITING TO RESERVE JUDGMENT. I DON’T HAVE ANY RIGHT TO BLAME ANYBODY UNTIL I KNOW WHAT REALLY, REALLY HAPPENED. I MEAN, HAS IT HAPPENED BEFORE? IT HAS. BUT I DON’T I DON’T GET TO SAY ANYTHING TO ANY AS OF YET. KCRA 3 HAS PREVIOUSLY REPORTED ON MAINTENANCE AND INFRASTRUCTURE ISSUES WITH PGE NEAR POLES. IN FEBRUARY, THE UTILITY TOLD US ALL OLD POLES WOULD EVENTUALLY BE CHANGED. WE REACHED OUT TO PGE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE TRANSMISSION POLE INVOLVED IN THE MOSQUITO FIRE INVESTIGATION. AND THEY SAY IT WAS ALREADY REPLACED BY A STEEL POLE ABOUT TEN YEARS AGO AS THE INVESTIGATION CONTINUES, THE FOCUS IN FOREST HILL IS ON REBUILDING. A LOT OF THE FIRE PERSONNEL HAVE KIND OF LEFT THE AREA. BUT WE DO HAVE SOME STILL IN WHERE THE EVACUATIONS WERE KIND OF DOING SOME CLEANUP WORK. I THINK IT BROUGHT US CLOSER TOGETHER. WE’RE REALLY TIGHT KNIT COMMUNITY AND IT JUST BROUGHT US BACK TOGETHER. PUOI IS HOPING THOSE WHO LOST THEIR HOMES FIND REFUGE. THAT’S WHAT I WOULD WISH FOR ANYBODY TO HAVE A PLACE TO LIVE AGAIN. REPORTING IN FOREST HILL, OKO MANNA KCRA 3 NEWS PEGG AND HE TELLS US THEY ARE COOPERATING WITH THE US FOREST SERVICE INVESTIGATION AND CONDUCTING THEIR OWN INVESTIGATION. BUT THEY SAY THEY DON’T HAVE ACCESS TO THAT EQUIPMENT THAT WAS SEIZED. WE ALSO REACHED OUT TO THE US FOREST SERVICE. THEY TOLD US THEY DON’

Federal officials have taken possession of a Pacific Gas and Electric Co. utility transmission pole and attached equipment as part of an investigation into what caused the Mosquito Fire.The investigation was noted in a PG&E filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Monday.The Mosquito Fire ignited near Oxbow Reservoir, east of Foresthill in Placer County, on Sept. 6. It’s burned 76,781 acres across Placer and El Dorado counties and is 85% contained, as of Monday. The fire destroyed 78 structures and damaged 13 others, according to the SEC filing. All evacuation orders across Placer and El Dorado counties have been lifted.| Watch video below| PG&E sued over claims the utility was responsible for the Mosquito FirePG&E confirmed it was cooperating with the federal investigation in a statement to KCRA 3 that noted the U.S. Forest Service has not made a determination on the cause of the fire.The utility said its “most important responsibility is the safety of our customers and the communities we serve. We are grateful for the first responders who have been fighting the Mosquito Fire.”“While PG&E is conducting our own investigation into the events that led to the fire, we do not have access to the physical evidence that was collected as part of the USFS investigation over the weekend,” PG&E said. “As the threat of extreme weather continues to impact our state and the West, we remain focused on preventing major wildfires and safely delivering energy to our customers and hometowns.”KCRA 3 has previously reported on maintenance and infrastructure issues with PG&E poles. In February, the utility told KCRA 3 all old poles would eventually be changed. KCRA 3 reached out to PG&E to learn more about the transmission pole involved with the Mosquito Fire investigation, and the utility said it was already replaced by a steel pole about 10 years ago.The Forest Service told KCRA 3 that as the lead investigative agency it could not comment on pending or active legal issues or investigations. As residents in Foresthill return to their homes, there are questions about what caused the fire. However, residents who spoke to KCRA 3 said they will wait to reserve judgement until they see all the facts."I don't have any right to blame anybody until I know what really happened," Foresthill resident Kim Poiesz said. "I mean, has it happened before? It has. But I don't get to say anything about PG&E as of yet."Foresthill resident Rose Perez said, "I don't blame them. Equipment fails... I don't think it's right for everyone to just point fingers at PG&E."PG&E is also facing a lawsuit that was filed in San Francisco Superior Court, which claims the Mosquito Fire was ignited by PG&E’s “poorly maintained utility structure.”“PG&E continues to act negligently and has been responsible for more than 1,500 fires across the states leading to deaths, property destruction, financial burdens, and ruined lives because of their poorly maintained utility equipment,” the litigation firm Singleton Schreiber said in a news release.If the cause of the fire is determined to be PG&E equipment, it would be just the latest in a series in recent years. PG&E filed for bankruptcy protection in 2019 after its aging equipment was blamed for fires that included the 2018 Camp Fire that killed 85 people and destroyed 10,000 homes in Paradise and neighboring communities.California’s second-largest wildfire in history, last year’s Dixie Fire, was caused by a tree hitting PG&E’s electrical distribution lines, according to Cal Fire.

Federal officials have taken possession of a Pacific Gas and Electric Co. utility transmission pole and attached equipment as part of an investigation into what caused the Mosquito Fire.

The investigation was noted in a PG&E filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Monday.

The Mosquito Fire ignited near Oxbow Reservoir, east of Foresthill in Placer County, on Sept. 6. It’s burned 76,781 acres across Placer and El Dorado counties and is 85% contained, as of Monday. The fire destroyed 78 structures and damaged 13 others, according to the SEC filing. All evacuation orders across Placer and El Dorado counties have been lifted.

| Watch video below| PG&E sued over claims the utility was responsible for the Mosquito Fire

PG&E confirmed it was cooperating with the federal investigation in a statement to KCRA 3 that noted the U.S. Forest Service has not made a determination on the cause of the fire.

The utility said its “most important responsibility is the safety of our customers and the communities we serve. We are grateful for the first responders who have been fighting the Mosquito Fire.”

“While PG&E is conducting our own investigation into the events that led to the fire, we do not have access to the physical evidence that was collected as part of the USFS investigation over the weekend,” PG&E said. “As the threat of extreme weather continues to impact our state and the West, we remain focused on preventing major wildfires and safely delivering energy to our customers and hometowns.”

KCRA 3 has previously reported on maintenance and infrastructure issues with PG&E poles. In February, the utility told KCRA 3 all old poles would eventually be changed. KCRA 3 reached out to PG&E to learn more about the transmission pole involved with the Mosquito Fire investigation, and the utility said it was already replaced by a steel pole about 10 years ago.

The Forest Service told KCRA 3 that as the lead investigative agency it could not comment on pending or active legal issues or investigations.

As residents in Foresthill return to their homes, there are questions about what caused the fire. However, residents who spoke to KCRA 3 said they will wait to reserve judgement until they see all the facts.

"I don't have any right to blame anybody until I know what really happened," Foresthill resident Kim Poiesz said. "I mean, has it happened before? It has. But I don't get to say anything about PG&E as of yet."

Foresthill resident Rose Perez said, "I don't blame them. Equipment fails... I don't think it's right for everyone to just point fingers at PG&E."

PG&E is also facing a lawsuit that was filed in San Francisco Superior Court, which claims the Mosquito Fire was ignited by PG&E’s “poorly maintained utility structure.”

“PG&E continues to act negligently and has been responsible for more than 1,500 fires across the states leading to deaths, property destruction, financial burdens, and ruined lives because of their poorly maintained utility equipment,” the litigation firm Singleton Schreiber said in a news release.

If the cause of the fire is determined to be PG&E equipment, it would be just the latest in a series in recent years. PG&E filed for bankruptcy protection in 2019 after its aging equipment was blamed for fires that included the 2018 Camp Fire that killed 85 people and destroyed 10,000 homes in Paradise and neighboring communities.

California’s second-largest wildfire in history, last year’s Dixie Fire, was caused by a tree hitting PG&E’s electrical distribution lines, according to Cal Fire.

Feds seize PG&E equipment as part of investigation into Mosquito Fire

Share

Share

Share

Top Picks