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Companies to Pay $17M for San Diego Wildfires
Firefighters start a controlled burn during the Station Fire in the Angeles National Forest beside the suburb of Glendale on the outskirts of Los Angeles city on September 1, 2009.
Associated Press
November 03, 2009
SAN DIEGO — San Diego Gas & Electric and Cox Communications have agreed to pay $17 million to settle claims by state investigators that poor maintenance led to three huge Southern California wildfires in 2007.
The settlement, announced Friday, comes more than a year after investigators with California’s Public Utilities Commission concluded that power lines caused the Witch Creek, Guejito and Rice Canyon fires, which destroyed 1,300 homes and killed two people.
Officials found the Guejito Fire was caused by a Cox Communications lashing wire touching an SDG&E conductor. Cox has agreed to pay $2 million to the general fund, without admitting it caused the fire.The companies did not admit fault for setting the fires, but said they would take steps to better maintain their lines and equipment.
Information from: The San Diego Union-Tribune, http://www.signonsandiego.com
Bamaboi
21 days ago
318 comments
that is why i hate corp. america if a person is guilty of a crime they are put in jail, if i steal 10dollars I have felony charges but if a business steals 10mil they get a slap from wall street and no one but the victim is hurt by the "lawsuit" no criminal Charges. 2 died and no fault was found.