Report: PG&E ignored repairs on aging power lines

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – A report in the Wall Street Journal says Pacific Gas & Electric, which is blamed for some of California’s deadliest recent fires, knew for years that its aging power lines posed a wildfire threat but avoided replacing or repairing them.

Wednesday’s report , based on company documents, says PG&E reported in 2017 that more than 100 transmission towers on a century-old line needed repair or replacement.

State fire officials blamed that line for a November fire that wiped out the Northern California town of Paradise and killed 85 people.

PG&E says it disagrees with the Journal’s conclusions but says it’s “taking significant actions to inspect, identify, and fix” safety issues.

PG&E filed for bankruptcy in January out of concern that it might face billions in liability from 2017 and 2018 wildfires.