Cal Fire: PG&E power lines started destructive Kincade Fire

Pacific Gas and Electric Co. transmission tower possibly linked to cause of Kincade Fire in Sonoma County

From SkyFOX, crews with Pacific Gas and Electric Co. are seen making repairs equipment on a high voltage transmission tower on Friday, November 1. On Wednesday, October 23, the San Francisco-based utility filed an incident report with the California Public Utilities Commission saying they became aware that there was an equipment failure on the transmission line near where the Kincade Fire started.

SONOMA, Calif. (KTVU) - Fire investigators have determined that last year's Kincade Fire was caused by Pacific Gas and Electric power lines.

According to a statement released by Cal Fire on Wednesday, electrical transmission lines owned and operated by the San Francisco-based utility and located just northeast of Geyserville are too blame.

On Oct 24, 2019, KTVU learned that PG&E had found broken electrical equipment near the origin of the massive wildfire.

The Kincade Fire ignited on Oct. 23, 2019 and raged until Nov 6. The fire destroyed 77,758 acres of land.

In all, 374 structures were destroyed, 174 of which were residential. Nearly 1,400 additional structures were damaged, some deemed uninhabitable. No one was killed in the blaze.

Fire officials said weather conditions also played a factor in how quickly the fire advanced.

"Tinder dry vegetation and strong winds combined with low humidity and warm temperatures contributed to extreme rates of fire spread," Cal Fire said in a statement.

The electric company pleaded guilty to 84 felony counts of involuntary manslaughter stemming from the November 2018 wildfire that was sparked by the utility’s crumbling electrical grid. The blaze nearly wiped out the entire town of Paradise and drove PG&E into bankruptcy early last year.