PG&E in Butte County is announcing plans to bury thousands of miles of power lines underground in an effort to curb wildfires.
There is no timetable for completion, but it could take more than a decade. PG&E was found guilty of failing to properly inspect and maintain the equipment that sparked the devastating 2018 Camp Fire. PG&E stepped up its safety commitment just days after informing regulators a 70-foot pine tree that toppled on one of its power lines ignited a major fire in Butte County, the same rural area about 145 miles northeast of San Francisco where another fire sparked by its equipment in 2018 killed more than 80 people and destroyed thousands of homes.
Previous PG&E regimes have staunchly resisted plans to bury long stretches of power lines because of the massive expense involved.