LOS ANGELES, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- A U.S. utility giant, which controls natural gas and electricity service in Northern California and was under investigation for its potential faults in last month's Camp Fire, could face criminal charges including murder in the deaths of 86 people during the catastrophe.
According to a report of local ABC 10 news channel on Saturday, the Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) could be charged with any of four possible criminal violations, including failing to clear vegetation from a power line or pole, starting a wildfire, involuntary manslaughter and implied-malice murder, if the utility is found responsible for "criminal negligence" or "recklessly" causing the fire to burn.
Except the first one which is misdemeanor, the other three violations are all felonies.
That revelation came in a brief from the California Attorney General's Office Friday night, which was asked by a federal judge to weigh in on the potential for criminal charges in the deadliest and most destructive fire in California history.
The request of judge stemmed from PG&E's convictions of multiple federal felonies in the deadly 2010 San Bruno gas pipeline explosion. As a result of the sentence in 2016, PG&E was fined and put on five years of probation. If the company commits another crime during that time, it would violate their probation.
The latest brief from the California Attorney General's Office stressed that it is not a preview of pending charges, but rather an outline of what charges could be possible under California law depending on the findings of the investigation into the fire's cause.
"If PG&E caused any of the fires, the investigation would have to extend into PG&E's operations, maintenance, and safety practices to determine whether criminal statutes were violated," the brief said. "This brief expresses no position on any such factual questions."
Lawyers representing victims and survivors of the Camp Fire have already filed multiple civil lawsuits seeking damages for the death and destruction cause by the fire.
The cause of the Camp Fire is still under investigation. However, PG&E confessed in a letter to the state regulators Public Utilities Commission (PUC) early this month that one of its employees called 911 on Nov. 8, around the same time the Camp Fire broke out, after spotting flames in the vicinity of a high-voltage tower near the place where the fire began.
PG&E, who provides natural gas and electricity to most of the northern two-thirds of California representing 5.2 million households, has warned investors that it does not have enough insurance coverage to pay for the damage if it is found liable for causing the fire.
