Pacific Gas and Electric Company said it will plead guilty to 84 counts of involuntary manslaughter and one count of unlawfully starting a fire stemming from the 2018 Camp Fire.

The plea agreement with the Butte County District Attorney is expected to resolve all state charges related to the fire. Under that agreement, PG&E will pay the maximum of roughly $4 million in fines including expenses related to the District Attorney's investigation.

The utility agreed to fund efforts to restore access to water for the next five years for residents impacted by the loss of the Miocene Canal, which was destroyed by the fire. The agreement is subject to approval by both the Butte County Superior Court and the Bankruptcy Court.

In late January 2019, PG&E Corp. and its utility, Pacific Gas and Electric Co., filed voluntary petitions under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of California.

Transmission lines

California fire investigators determined that the Camp Fire was caused by electrical transmission lines owned and operated by PG&E and located in the Pulga, California, area. The fire rapidly burned into Pulga to the east and west into Concow, Paradise, Magalia and to the outskirts of Chico.

The fire burned a total of 153,336 acres, destroying 18,804 structures and resulting in dozens of civilian fatalities and several firefighter injuries. The Camp Fire is the deadliest and most destructive fire in California history. Cal Fire said that during 2018 there were more than 7,571 wildfires that burned over 1.8 million acres within the state of California.

PG&E previously reached settlements with groups of victims from wildfires in 2015, 2017 and 2018, totaling around $25.5 billion. This amount includes payment for all claims from individuals impacted by the Camp Fire and reimbursement for claims by Butte County agencies.