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PG&E Says Someone Else's Wires May Have Started Deadly Blaze

PG&E employees work in Santa Rosa after the Tubbs Fire in this undated photo.
Adam Grossberg/KQED
PG&E employees work in Santa Rosa after the Tubbs Fire in this undated photo.

California's largest utility says the deadliest of last month's wildfires may have been started by electrical equipment not owned or installed by Pacific Gas and Electric Co.

RELATED: Utility Scrutinized As Northern California Wildfire Victims Sue

The San Francisco Chronicle reports the utility says in a legal filing Thursday that a preliminary investigation suggests that a private power line may have started the blaze that killed 21 people and destroyed more than 4,400 homes in Sonoma County.

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PG&E did not name the third party but referenced a Napa County location where investigators have focused their work on the cause of the fire.

RELATED: San Diego Business Owner Suing CPUC Over Its Handling Of SDG&E’s Request To Bill Ratepayers

The filing comes in response to several wildfire-related lawsuits against PG&E. It gives no supporting evidence other than referring to an electric incident report that the utility submitted to state regulators in the wake of the fires.

KPBS has created a public safety coverage policy to guide decisions on what stories we prioritize, as well as whose narratives we need to include to tell complete stories that best serve our audiences. This policy was shaped through months of training with the Poynter Institute and feedback from the community. You can read the full policy here.