PG&E to spend $125M for igniting massive California fire

SONOMA, Calif. (AP) — Pacific Gas & Electric has reached a $125 million settlement agreement with California regulators over the destructive Kincade fire, which was ignited in 2019 by the utility’s equipment in a remote area of Sonoma County. The Press Democrat reported Wednesday PG&E shareholders would pay a $40 million fine to the state general fund and another $85 million for removal of abandoned transmission equipment throughout the utility’s territory as part of the agreement expected to be approved by the California Public Utilities Commission at its Dec. 2 meeting. The agreement was reached after the commission’s  Safety and Enforcement Division found a high-voltage PG&E transmission tower ignited the blaze.