Baron & Budd Files Lawsuit Against PG&E on Behalf of Five Counties Damaged by Dixie Fire

The devastating Dixie Fire has burned more than 963,000 acres, killed at least one person, and destroyed or damaged over 1,400 structures.

Today, the nationally recognized attorneys from Baron & Budd alongside Dixon Diab & Chambers filed a lawsuit against PG&E on behalf of Plumas County, Butte County, Lassen County, Shasta County, and Tehama County for injuries and damages caused by the Dixie Fire, which started on July 13, 2021 and burned more than 963,000 acres throughout five counties.

Over 1,900 fire response personnel were called to battle the blaze that destroyed 1,329 structures, damaged 95 other structures, and killed at least one person. The fire started in Butte County above the Cresta Dam in the Feather River Canyon but spread into all five counties during 95 days of active burning.

The lawsuit, which includes all five counties as co-plaintiffs, was filed today in San Francisco Superior Court, which has heard the North Bay fire cases, Kincade Fire cases, and Zogg Fire cases. The lawsuit demands legal damages for injuries to public resources, natural resources, lost revenues, increased expenses, lost assets, injuries to infrastructure such as roads and water systems, and other injuries and damages. The Dixie Fire is the largest non-complex fire in California history, and the fire footprint is larger than Rhode Island. The lawsuit alleges PG&E equipment caused the fire.

“These counties have been ravaged by fire as the result of PG&E’s negligence,” said Baron & Budd Shareholder, John Fiske. “We are holding PG&E accountable for this devastating fire, and we hope they will do what is right so these communities can start the process of rebuilding.”

PG&E emerged from Chapter 11 Bankruptcy in July 2020 and was called into federal court by Judge Alsup for questioning regarding the cause and origin of the Dixie Fire. The California Department of Forestry and Fire is still investigating the cause of the fire, but evidence points to PG&E’s equipment as the ignition source.

Baron & Budd attorneys John Fiske, Torri Sherlin, Jason Julius, and Taylor O’Neal will be representing the counties alongside Dixon Diab & Chambers and the respective County Counsel offices.

About Baron & Budd, P.C.

Baron & Budd, P.C. is among the largest and most accomplished plaintiffs’ law firms in the country. With more than 40 years of experience, Baron & Budd has the expertise and resources to handle complex litigation throughout the United States. As a law firm that takes pride in remaining at the forefront of litigation, Baron & Budd has spearheaded many significant cases for hundreds of entities and thousands of individuals. Since the firm was founded in 1977, Baron & Budd has achieved substantial national acclaim for its work on cutting-edge litigation, trying hundreds of cases to verdict and settling tens of thousands of cases in areas of litigation as diverse and significant as dangerous and highly addictive pharmaceuticals, defective medical devices, asbestos and mesothelioma, California wildfires and environmental contamination, fraudulent banking practices, e-cigarettes, motor vehicles, federal whistleblower cases, and other consumer fraud issues.

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