Peoples & Things

How a California Electricity Utility Caused Deadly Wildfires

Feb 8, 2023
Ask episode
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
ANECDOTE

Blunt's Entry Point

  • Katherine Blunt joined the Wall Street Journal three days before the Camp Fire.
  • This sparked her deep dive into PG&E's history and the events leading up to the fire.
ANECDOTE

Camp Fire Tragedy

  • The Camp Fire, ignited by a century-old faulty hook on a transmission tower, devastated the town of Paradise, California.
  • It became the deadliest fire in California's history, killing 85 people.
INSIGHT

PG&E's Rise

  • PG&E's history is intertwined with Northern California's development, starting as a hydropower pioneer during the electricity's experimental phase.
  • Merging with its main competitor in 1930, it became a powerful regulated monopoly.
Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode
Get the app