Pacific Gas and Electric Co. agrees to $150 million settlement in deadly Zogg Fire

May 18—Pacific Gas and Electric Co. agreed to a $150 million settlement Thursday with the California Public Utilities Commission for the electric company's involvement in the 2020 Zogg Fire that killed four people and burned over 56,000 acres of land in Shasta and Tehama counties.

According to the agreement, PG&E will pay $10 million to California's General Fund while another $140 million of the company's shareholder funds to new "wildfire mitigation initiatives."

Among the initiatives, PG&E must verify that every tree prospectively marked for removal is dated and designated with GPS coordinates, according to the CPUC. Additionally, the company must improve vegetation management training and invest in fire safety councils.

The Zogg Fire — which killed four people and destroyed more than 200 structures — was caused when a tree fell on PG&E electrical lines, according to a Cal Fire investigation.

The 56,338-acre blaze started on Sept. 27, 2020, and lasted 16 days before it was contained on Oct. 13, 2020.

Reach Joel Umanzor: Joel.Umanzor@sfchronicle.com

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