Zogg Fire Lawsuit: Settlements, Criminal Case, and CPUC Penalty

Lawsuits over the Zogg Fire produced more than $200 million in settlements and penalties against Pacific Gas and Electric, spread across a $150 million California Public Utilities Commission regulatory deal, a $50 million agreement that ended a criminal prosecution, a $12.36 million settlement with Shasta and Tehama counties, and hundreds of private civil claims for wrongful death and property loss. No one was criminally convicted. PG&E pleaded not guilty to 31 counts, including four for involuntary manslaughter, and the charges were dismissed in May 2023 after a judge signaled the state could not prove criminal recklessness.

Why PG&E Was on the Hook

The fire started on September 27, 2020, near Igo in western Shasta County. It burned 56,338 acres, destroyed 204 structures, and killed four people: Karin King, 79; Kenneth Vossen, 52; Alaina Rowe McLeod, 46; and her eight-year-old daughter, Feyla McLeod.1CAL FIRE. Zogg Fire Cause News Release2Los Angeles Times. Zogg Fire Charges

Cal Fire concluded in March 2021 that a gray pine had fallen onto PG&E’s 12-kilovolt overhead lines on the Girvan 1101 circuit near Zogg Mine Road and Jenny Bird Lane. The tree leaned 23 degrees toward the conductors and belonged to a species state regulators classify as having “very high” failure potential between July and October.1CAL FIRE. Zogg Fire Cause News Release3CPUC. SED Investigation Report – Zogg Fire

The tree had been flagged for removal two years earlier. In August 2018, contractor Mountain G Enterprises marked it “Priority 2” during post-Carr Fire restoration work. PG&E never took it down. Crews in the area had been threatened at gunpoint by a resident who believed the tree work was unnecessary, and the November 2018 Camp Fire soon pulled the company’s resources away.4Courthouse News Service. PG&E May Have Failed to Remove Tree Suspected of Sparking Zogg Fire A PG&E vegetation management regional manager decided to rely on routine patrols to catch anything missed. Patrols in October 2018, April 2019, and March 2020 all passed the tree without action.5CPUC. Joint Motion Approving Settlement Agreement Between PG&E and SED

CPUC investigators also found PG&E had skipped a required post-disaster patrol in 2019, lost the hard-copy map from its 2018–2019 vegetation inspection, and had never conducted a mandated intrusive inspection of a 1974-era power pole in the area. PG&E’s own database listed ten flagged trees nearby that were never touched.3CPUC. SED Investigation Report – Zogg Fire4Courthouse News Service. PG&E May Have Failed to Remove Tree Suspected of Sparking Zogg Fire

The Criminal Case and How It Ended

Shasta County District Attorney Stephanie Bridgett filed a 31-count complaint on September 24, 2021. It included four felony counts of involuntary manslaughter, seven felony counts of recklessly causing a fire, and 20 misdemeanors covering negligent fire starting, regulatory violations, and negligent emission of air pollution.6San Francisco Chronicle. Shasta County DA Hits PG&E With Manslaughter Charges PG&E pleaded not guilty in June 2022.7Sacramento Bee. PG&E Zogg Fire Criminal Charges Dismissed

The case collapsed in stages. In February 2023, Shasta Superior Court Judge Bradley Boeckman dismissed 20 of the 31 counts, finding they addressed other fires and air contamination rather than the Zogg Fire itself.7Sacramento Bee. PG&E Zogg Fire Criminal Charges Dismissed On April 13, 2023, Superior Court Judge Daniel E. Flynn issued a tentative ruling that found no evidence PG&E was aware of the specific tree’s risk and no evidence its inspections fell so far below industry standards as to be criminally reckless.8Courthouse News Service. PG&E Settles Zogg Fire Case for $50 Million

Facing likely acquittal, Bridgett negotiated. On May 31, 2023, Judge Flynn dismissed the remaining charges after PG&E agreed to a $50 million civil settlement: $45 million to local organizations for fire recovery and emergency services, and $5 million paid to Shasta County as a civil penalty.8Courthouse News Service. PG&E Settles Zogg Fire Case for $50 Million PG&E also agreed to new vegetation management systems, line sensor devices for locating faults, a scholarship fund named for the victims, and an independent monitor reporting to the DA.9KCRA. Criminal Charges Dropped Against PG&E in Zogg Fire

Bridgett said she was “not happy” with the outcome but chose to settle rather than “gambling with the safety of Shasta County.”10NBC Bay Area. Judge Dismisses Criminal Charges Against PG&E in Zogg Fire PG&E had maintained throughout that its inspectors did not act criminally, noting that two arborists had previously determined the gray pine could remain standing.6San Francisco Chronicle. Shasta County DA Hits PG&E With Manslaughter Charges

The $150 Million CPUC Regulatory Settlement

On May 18, 2023, the California Public Utilities Commission approved a $150 million settlement between PG&E and the CPUC’s Safety and Enforcement Division. Ten million was a direct penalty paid to California’s General Fund. The remaining $140 million had to come from shareholder funds, not ratepayers, and be spent on wildfire mitigation.11CPUC. CPUC Approves $150 Million Settlement With PG&E for Zogg Fire

The deal required PG&E to log every tree marked for removal with a date and precise GPS coordinates, a direct answer to the recordkeeping failures that let the Zogg Mine Road pine slip through repeated inspections. Other funds went to vegetation management training, data systems, customer accommodation programs, and local fire safety councils. CPUC staff kept ongoing authority to monitor compliance.12CPUC. Resolution ALJ-439 – Zogg Fire Settlement

Recovery by Counties, Cal Fire, and Private Victims

In May 2021, PG&E settled with Shasta and Tehama counties for $12.36 million, covering damage to roads, bridges, and culverts, lost government revenues, and staff costs. More than 99% of that money went to Shasta County. The agreement was part of a larger $43.36 million deal that also resolved Sonoma County’s claims from the 2019 Kincade Fire.13Redding Record Searchlight. Zogg Fire Settlement With Shasta, Tehama Counties Tops $12 Million14IJPR. Shasta, Tehama Counties Announce $12 Million Settlement for 2020 Zogg Fire The county settlement covered government claims only. Individual victims were not compensated through it.

In February 2022, the California Attorney General’s Office sued PG&E on behalf of Cal Fire in Shasta County Superior Court, seeking $32.9 million in firefighting and investigation costs, plus attorney’s fees, expert fees, and prejudgment interest.15Redding Record Searchlight. Cal Fire Sues PG&E to Recover Costs Fighting Zogg Fire

Private victims brought their own suits. By October 2022, PG&E was tracking about 28 civil complaints from at least 496 plaintiffs seeking damages for wrongful death, property loss, and economic harm. Master complaints were filed in August 2021, and a trial originally set for February 2023 was pushed to May 2023. PG&E recorded $375 million in estimated liability for these claims at the end of 2021 and carried $611 million in aggregate liability insurance for Zogg-related third-party claims.16U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. PG&E Corporation SEC Filing – Zogg Fire Litigation

Why Zogg Victims Aren’t in the Fire Victim Trust

If you were hurt by the Zogg Fire, the Fire Victim Trust created during PG&E’s bankruptcy does not apply to your claim. That trust was limited to victims of the 2015 Butte Fire, 2017 North Bay Fires, and 2018 Camp Fire. PG&E had emerged from bankruptcy before the Zogg Fire ignited in September 2020. Zogg claims run through ordinary litigation and insurance channels, alongside the $21 billion state wildfire fund established by AB 1054 in 2019.17U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. PG&E Corporation SEC Filing – Fire Victim Trust and Zogg Fire

The Numbers, At a Glance