Profits over safety: Utility blamed in fire that killed 85

SAN RAMON, Calif. (AP)

UPDATE 6/16/2020 2:15 p.m. A scathing grand jury report released Tuesday after a 2018 Northern California wildfire killed 85 people found that Pacific Gas & Electric officials repeatedly ignored warnings about its failing power lines, performed inadequate inspections to focus on profits and refused to learn from past catastrophes.

The 92-page summary says PG&E's corporate culture elevated profits over safety and encouraged shortcuts in delivering highly dangerous power.

Company CEO Bill Johnson pleaded guilty on behalf of the nation’s largest utility earlier Tuesday to 84 felony counts of involuntary manslaughter.

Prosecutors say they did not have enough evidence to pin one of the deaths on the San Francisco-based utility. 

PREVIOUS STORY: Pacific Gas & Electric pleaded guilty Tuesday to 84 felony counts of involuntary manslaughter for a wildfire that wiped out most of a Northern California town called Paradise.

The nation’s largest utility took responsibility for the death and destruction caused by its history of neglect and greed.

The hearing comes nearly three months after PG&E reached a plea agreement in the November 2018 fire. PG&E CEO Bill Johnson acknowledged that the fire that destroyed Paradise was ignited by PG&E's rickety electrical grid and apologized to the victims.

The company has agreed to pay a $3.5 million fine and $500,000 for the criminal investigation.