Pacific Gas and Electric Corp. PG&E said Monday that the U.S. Forest Service removed and took possession of some Pacific Gas and Electric Co. equipment as the agency conducts a criminal investigation into the Mosquito Fire in California.
According to a Monday filing PG&E submitted to the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Forest Service took possession of a transmission pole and attached equipment belonging to the PG&E subsidiary, which provides natural gas and electricity to millions of people in central and northern California. The filing said that the agency was conducting a criminal investigation into the cause of the Mosquito Fire and that the seizure occurred over the weekend.
The Forest Service said in the filing that the fire started in the area of the Utility's power line on National Forest System lands.
A Forest Service spokesman told FOX Business that the USDA Forest Service is currently investigating the cause of the Mosquito Fire, and we don't comment further on any active investigations.
The Mosquito Fire, which is currently 85% contained, started Sept. 6 near OxBow Reservoir in northern California, according to an incident report from CalFire. The Forest Service said in a Saturday incident update that it has destroyed nearly 80 structures and damaged over 76,700 acres in Placer and El Dorado Counties.
There were dozens of residents who were facing evacuation orders earlier in the month, though neither county had active ones as of Saturday.
PG&E said in a statement to FOX Business that its most important responsibility is the safety of customers and communities we serve. The U.S. Forest Service USFS has not made a decision on the cause of the fire, the company statement said. While PG&E is conducting an investigation into the events that led to the fire, we don't have access to the physical evidence collected over the weekend as part of the USFS investigation. As the threat of extreme weather continues to impact our state and the West, we remain focused on preventing major wildfires and safely delivering energy to our customers and hometowns. In April, Pacific Gas and Electric Co. agreed to a $55 million civil settlement with six California counties over wildfires in the state, including the 2019 Kincade Fire and the 2021 Dixie Fire.
PG&E equipment was blamed for sparking 31 wildfires between 2017 and 2021, according to FOX Business.